Sync Gulp Tasks with run-sequence

gulp.js is an awesome utility for so many things.  I've recently started using gulp as a build tool for the next blog redesign, whenever that may come.  In the past I had written my own build scripts but they quickly got messy and I ran into problems with concurrent tasks and knowing when each was complete.  gulp.js has made my build code prettier but I still get caught with timing issues due to async tasks.

Of course the nature of JS is becoming async but sometimes I just want a "top down" build process -- that's where run-sequence comes in.  With run-sequence I can easily group tasks to ensure they are done before setting off other tasks!

run-sequence works by passing arguments in the form of arrays or strings; an array signifies the tasks can be run concurrently, a string signifies a single task:

var runSequence = require('run-sequence');

gulp.task('some-task', function() {
	runSequence(
		['task-1', 'task-2', 'task-3'], // These 3 can be done in parallel
		'task-4', // ...then just do this
		['task-5', 'task-5'], // ...then do these things in parallel
		'task-6', // ...then do this
		// ....
	);
});

Each successive argument waits for the previous task(s) to finish.  My future theme's working gulp build file default task looks as follows:

// Create the default run action, which should be the entire build
gulp.task('default', function() {
	runSequence(
		['copy-js-dir', 'copy-php-files', 'copy-image-files', 'compile-stylus'],
		'clone-prism',
		['minify-css', 'minify-js'],
		'replace-build-ids',
		'create-backup-zip',
		'move-to-wordpress'
	);
});

JavaScript purists will hate on me for not creating my own promises to avoid the need for sync and run-sequence, but to be honest, I don't care.  Adding my own promises would make the code messier and with little speed benefit.

Sometimes we have to make concessions for the sake of maintainability -- all developers know that.  run-sequence was a concession I've made to keep my code maintainable and logical in my own head.