References — fw-07 A Minimal Bundler

Primary sources first. Read the real implementation after you have written yours, never before.

Module semantics — get these right first

ECMAScript modules — the normative semantics: live bindings, hoisting, cyclic module records. Most bundler bugs are misunderstandings here.
HTML Standard — module scripts
Node.js — Modules: ECMAScript modules — resolution algorithm, exports maps, the dual-package hazard
package.json exports — the field that decides what a bundler is even allowed to import

Bundlers to read

Rollup — the cleanest architecture to learn from; its plugin interface became the de-facto standard
esbuild — read the architecture notes; an unusually good description of why it is fast
Vite — dev-server/production-build split; the dep pre-bundling rationale is worth understanding
Webpack module federation — relevant to fe-41 microfrontends

Tree shaking

Rollup — tree shaking and the sideEffects field
Rich Harris — Tree-shaking versus dead code elimination — the distinction matters more than the name suggests

fw-06 — Compilers — what produces the modules being bundled
fe-23 — Loading architecture (planned) — code splitting, preload, and what any of it buys
fe-03 — Object shapes & JIT (sibling project) — the perspective method for pricing bundle-size claims

When a claim here proves stale, record it in PROGRESS.md section 7.