Webpack Setup

Webpack Setup Overview

At its core, webpack setup is about doing one thing well inside your Module Federation project. Once you understand the pattern, you can apply it consistently across features and teams.

Good webpack setup pays off across the whole codebase: fewer surprises, easier testing, and smoother onboarding. The snippet below is a solid starting point.

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.

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

Module Federation Cheatsheet

Key Module Federation settings related to webpack setup.

How Webpack Setup Works in Module Federation

Webpack Setup 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 Webpack Setup

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

Key Takeaways

• Webpack Setup is a core part of working effectively with Module Federation.
• Start small and keep webpack setup focused on a single responsibility.
• Apply consistent patterns so webpack setup scales across your project.
• Test and document webpack setup to keep it maintainable over time.