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JAVASCRIPT BUILD DUMP

Webpack

• A static module bundler for JavaScript applications
• It processes and bundles various types of files (e.g., JavaScript, CSS, images) into a smaller set of files that are easier to serve

Key Concepts

• Entry: The entry point(s) for the application.
• Output: The location and filename of the bundled files.
• Loaders: Transformations applied to modules (e.g., babel-loader for JavaScript, css-loader for CSS).
• Plugins: Extend Webpack's functionality (e.g., HtmlWebpackPlugin for generating HTML files).
• Configuration File: Typically webpack.config.js, where the entry, output, loaders, and plugins are defined.

Vite

• Next-generation frontend build tool that focuses on speed and performance, leveraging modern JavaScript features.

Key Features:

• Dev Server: Fast, with hot module replacement (HMR).
• Build: Optimized production build using Rollup.
• Native ES Modules: Uses ES modules in development, reducing the need for bundling.

Why Vite Handles Imports Better:

• Built-in support for various file types.
• Optimized handling of dependencies.
• Minimal configuration for common tasks.

Plugins

• Plugins are tools that extend the functionality of the bundler (In the context of Webpack and other build tools)
• Perform a variety of tasks e.g.
  • Optimizing output
  • Injecting environment variables
  • etc

Loaders

Definition: Loaders are used in Webpack to transform files into modules that can be included in the dependency graph. They preprocess files as they are imported.

Common Loaders:

• babel-loader: Transpile JavaScript using Babel.
• css-loader: Handle CSS imports.
• file-loader: Import files as URLs.
• glsl-shader-loader: Handle GLSL shader files.

CommonJS (CJS)

Definition: CommonJS is a module system used in Node.js. It uses require and module.exports for importing and exporting modules.

Example:

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// Importing a module const module = require('module-name'); // Exporting a module module.exports = function() { // module code };

6. ES Modules (ESM)

Definition: ES Modules is a standardized module system used in modern JavaScript. It uses import and `

export for module management.

Example:

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// Importing a module import module from 'module-name'; // Exporting a module export function myFunction() { // module code }

7. Docusaurus

Definition: Docusaurus is an open-source project for building, deploying, and maintaining open-source project websites easily. It is highly customizable and built using React.

Key Features:

• MDX Support: Combine Markdown with JSX.
• Versioning: Version your documentation.
• Translations: Internationalize your site with ease.
• Plugins: Extend the functionality of your Docusaurus site.

8. Configuration Customization in Docusaurus

Customizing Webpack:

• Custom Webpack Plugin: To add custom configurations to Webpack, you can create a plugin that modifies Webpack's configuration.

Example:

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module.exports = function(context, options) { return { name: 'custom-webpack-plugin', configureWebpack(config, isServer) { return { module: { rules: [ { test: /\.glsl$/, use: 'glsl-shader-loader', }, { test: /\.(gif|png|jpe?g|svg)$/i, exclude: /\.(mdx?)$/i, use: ['file-loader', { loader: 'image-webpack-loader' }], }, ], }, }; }, }; };

9. Putting It All Together

Problem Context: Importing GLSL shader files in a Docusaurus project.

• Issue: Docusaurus, by default, does not have a loader for GLSL files, leading to a module parse error.
• Solution: Customize Webpack configuration to include glsl-shader-loader.

Steps:

1. Install glsl-shader-loader:

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   npm install glsl-shader-loader --save-dev

2. Create a Custom Webpack Plugin (custom-webpack-plugin.cjs):

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   module.exports = function(context, options) { return { name: 'custom-webpack-plugin', configureWebpack(config, isServer) { return { module: { rules: [ { test: /\.glsl$/, use: 'glsl-shader-loader', }, { test: /\.(gif|png|jpe?g|svg)$/i, exclude: /\.(mdx?)$/i, use: ['file-loader', { loader: 'image-webpack-loader' }], }, ], }, }; }, }; };

3. Include the Plugin in docusaurus.config.ts:

   typescript

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   import { Config } from '@docusaurus/types'; import tailwindPlugin from './tailwind-plugin.cjs'; import idealImagePlugin from './plugin-ideal-image.cjs'; import customWebpackPlugin from './custom-webpack-plugin.cjs'; import path from 'path'; const config: Config = { // other configurations... plugins: [ tailwindPlugin, [ idealImagePlugin.name, idealImagePlugin.options, ], customWebpackPlugin, ], }; export default config;

By understanding these concepts and how they interrelate, you can effectively troubleshoot and resolve issues related to module bundling and configuration in your projects.

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References