What is the difference between polyfills and shims?

Can you explain the difference between polyfills and shims?

Sure! Polyfills are scripts that provide modern functionality on older browsers, while shims are used to make APIs behave consistently across different environments.

Can you give me an example of a polyfill?

Absolutely! A common example of a polyfill is the 'fetch' API, which allows you to make network requests. Older browsers that don't support 'fetch' can use a polyfill to add this functionality.

What about shims? Can you provide an example?

Certainly! A good example of a shim is the 'es5-shim' library, which adds support for ES5 features in environments that don't support them natively.

Are there any performance implications when using polyfills or shims?

Yes, using polyfills and shims can impact performance, especially if they add a lot of code or if the functionality is used frequently. It's important to weigh the benefits against the potential performance costs.