What is the difference between Babel polyfills and shims?

What is the difference between Babel polyfills and shims?

Babel polyfills are used to add new JavaScript features to older environments, while shims provide compatibility for existing features.

Can you give me an example of when to use a polyfill?

Sure! If you're using Promise in your code, you would use a polyfill to ensure it works in browsers that don't support it natively.

And what about shims? When should I use them?

Shims are useful when you want to modify existing JavaScript features to behave differently, like changing the behavior of Array.prototype.map.

Are there any performance implications of using polyfills or shims?

Yes, using polyfills can increase the size of your JavaScript bundle, which may affect load times. Shims can also add overhead if they modify existing methods.