Micro Frontend Architecture

Micro Frontend Architecture Overview

Micro Frontend Architecture is a building block you will reach for often in Module Federation. It keeps related logic together and makes your intent obvious to reviewers and future maintainers.

When you learn micro frontend architecture properly, you avoid the guesswork that leads to bugs and rework. The example below shows the shape you will use in most real Module Federation projects.

const { ModuleFederationPlugin } = require('webpack').container;

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    new ModuleFederationPlugin({
      name: 'shell',
      remotes: { catalog: 'catalog@http://localhost:3001/remoteEntry.js' },
      exposes: {},
      shared: { react: { singleton: true }, 'react-dom': { singleton: true } },
    }),
  ],
};

ModuleFederationPlugin configures which modules an app exposes, consumes, and shares.

Micro Frontend Architecture Example

new ModuleFederationPlugin({
  name: 'app',
  filename: 'remoteEntry.js',
  exposes: { './Widget': './src/Widget' },
  remotes: { other: 'other@http://host/remoteEntry.js' },
  shared: { react: { singleton: true } },
});

• Start from a minimal Micro Frontend Architecture example and grow it only as needed.
• Keep configuration explicit so Micro Frontend Architecture behaves the same in every environment.
• Name things clearly so teammates understand your Micro Frontend Architecture at a glance.
• Add tests around Micro Frontend Architecture early to lock in expected behaviour.

Module Federation Cheatsheet

Key Module Federation settings related to micro frontend architecture.

How Micro Frontend Architecture Works in Module Federation

Micro Frontend Architecture builds on Module Federation's ability to load code from another independently built and deployed application at runtime. Each app can be a host, a remote, or both.

ModuleFederationPlugin configures which modules an app exposes, consumes, and shares.

• Remotes expose modules through a remoteEntry.js manifest.
• Hosts declare remotes and import exposed modules dynamically.
• Shared dependencies are deduplicated, ideally as singletons.
• Each micro frontend builds and deploys on its own schedule.

Practical Guidance for Micro Frontend Architecture

In production, micro frontend architecture needs careful version management and graceful failure handling. Align shared dependency versions and always render a fallback when a remote cannot load.

Common Mistakes

• Copying micro frontend architecture snippets without understanding what each line does.
• Skipping error handling and edge cases when wiring up micro frontend architecture.
• Leaving micro frontend architecture untested, so regressions slip into production.
• Over-engineering micro frontend architecture before you actually need the extra flexibility.

Key Takeaways

• Micro Frontend Architecture is a core part of working effectively with Module Federation.
• Start small and keep micro frontend architecture focused on a single responsibility.
• Apply consistent patterns so micro frontend architecture scales across your project.
• Test and document micro frontend architecture to keep it maintainable over time.