minify unused ${x}y into ${x} instead of x+""

Author: evanw

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@
     ""+1+2+3,""+(x?1:2)+y;
 
     // New output (with --minify)
-    x,""+y;
+    x,`${y}`;
     ```
 
     This can arise when the template literals are nested inside of another function call that was determined to be unnecessary such as an unused call to a function marked with the `/* @__PURE__ */` pragma.
 
+    This release also fixes a bug with this transformation where minifying the unused expression `` `foo ${bar}` `` into `"" + bar` changed the meaning of the expression. Template string interpolation always calls `toString` while string addition may call `valueOf` instead. This unused expression is now minified to `` `${bar}` ``, which is slightly longer but which avoids the behavior change.
+
 ## 0.14.5
 
 * Fix an issue with the publishing script

internal/js_parser/js_parser.go

@@ -14218,29 +14218,32 @@ func (p *parser) simplifyUnusedExpr(expr js_ast.Expr) js_ast.Expr {
 	case *js_ast.ETemplate:
 		if e.TagOrNil.Data == nil {
 			var comma js_ast.Expr
-			var concat js_ast.Expr
+			var templateLoc logger.Loc
+			var template *js_ast.ETemplate
 			for _, part := range e.Parts {
-				// If we know this value is some kind of primitive, then we know that "ToString" has no side effects
+				// If we know this value is some kind of primitive, then we know that
+				// "ToString" has no side effects and can be avoided.
 				if js_ast.KnownPrimitiveType(part.Value) != js_ast.PrimitiveUnknown {
-					if concat.Data != nil {
-						comma = js_ast.JoinWithComma(comma, concat)
-						concat.Data = nil
+					if template != nil {
+						comma = js_ast.JoinWithComma(comma, js_ast.Expr{Loc: templateLoc, Data: template})
+						template = nil
 					}
 					comma = js_ast.JoinWithComma(comma, p.simplifyUnusedExpr(part.Value))
 					continue
 				}
 
-				// Make sure "ToString" is still evaluated on the value
-				if concat.Data == nil {
-					concat = js_ast.Expr{Loc: part.Value.Loc, Data: &js_ast.EString{}}
+				// Make sure "ToString" is still evaluated on the value. We can't use
+				// string addition here because that may evaluate "ValueOf" instead.
+				if template == nil {
+					template = &js_ast.ETemplate{}
+					templateLoc = part.Value.Loc
 				}
-				concat = js_ast.Expr{Loc: part.Value.Loc, Data: &js_ast.EBinary{
-					Op:    js_ast.BinOpAdd,
-					Left:  concat,
-					Right: part.Value,
-				}}
+				template.Parts = append(template.Parts, js_ast.TemplatePart{Value: part.Value})
+			}
+			if template != nil {
+				comma = js_ast.JoinWithComma(comma, js_ast.Expr{Loc: templateLoc, Data: template})
 			}
-			return js_ast.JoinWithComma(comma, concat)
+			return comma
 		}
 
 	case *js_ast.EArray:

internal/js_parser/js_parser_test.go

@@ -3813,14 +3813,16 @@ func TestMangleUnused(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	expectPrintedMangle(t, "tag`a${b}c${d}e`", "tag`a${b}c${d}e`;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`a${b}c${d}e`", "\"\" + b + d;\n")
-
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${x}${1}`", "\"\" + x;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${1}${y}`", "\"\" + y;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${x}${y}`", "\"\" + x + y;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${x ? 1 : 2}${y}`", "x, \"\" + y;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${x}${y ? 1 : 2}`", "\"\" + x, y;\n")
-	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`${x}${y ? 1 : 2}${z}`", "\"\" + x, y, \"\" + z;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`a${b}c${d}e`", "`${b}${d}`;\n")
+
+	// These can't be reduced to string addition due to "valueOf". See:
+	// https://github.com/terser/terser/issues/1128#issuecomment-994209801
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${x} ${1}`", "`${x}`;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${1} ${y}`", "`${y}`;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${x} ${y}`", "`${x}${y}`;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${x ? 1 : 2} ${y}`", "x, `${y}`;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${x} ${y ? 1 : 2}`", "`${x}`, y;\n")
+	expectPrintedMangle(t, "`stuff ${x} ${y ? 1 : 2} ${z}`", "`${x}`, y, `${z}`;\n")
 
 	expectPrintedMangle(t, "'a' + b + 'c' + d", "\"\" + b + d;\n")
 	expectPrintedMangle(t, "a + 'b' + c + 'd'", "a + \"\" + c;\n")

scripts/end-to-end-tests.js

@@ -693,6 +693,30 @@
           if (foo() === bar()) throw 'fail'
         `,
       }),
+
+      // Unused minified template literals. See this for more info:
+      // https://github.com/terser/terser/issues/1128#issuecomment-994209801
+      test(['in.js', '--outfile=node.js', '--minify', target], {
+        'in.js': `
+          var text = '';
+          var foo = {
+            toString: () => text += 'toString',
+            valueOf: () => text += 'valueOf',
+          };
+          \`\${foo}\`;
+          if (text !== 'toString') throw 'fail: ' + text + ' !== toString'
+        `,
+      }),
+      test(['in.js', '--outfile=node.js', '--minify', target], {
+        'in.js': `
+          var text = '';
+          var foo = {
+            toString: () => text += 'toString',
+          };
+          \`abc \${text += 'A', foo} xyz \${text += 'B', foo} 123\`;
+          if (text !== 'AtoStringBtoString') throw 'fail: ' + text + ' !== AtoStringBtoString'
+        `,
+      }),
     )
   }