SETTING UP WEBPACK FOR ANY TYPESCRIPT PROJECT FROM SCRATCH
Introduction
Welcome to step by step hands-on guide to setup webpack in your upcoming typescript project. Please follow the steps and you should be able to create your own webpack project. Download complete Source Code from GitHub Now !
- ✅Create a Typescript node.js project.
- ✅Install Dependencies with webpack & typescripts.
- ✅Use Webpack CLI to crate
webpack.config.jsfile and modify webpack.config.js based on our need. - ✅Add Build script in package.json At this point you should see the dist folder created with bundle file.
- ✅Create TypeDefinition Bundle.
- ✅Clean up dist folder before create bundle.
- ✅Copy your library
package.jsonto your dist folder. - ✅Creating Typescript documentation of your own Typescript Project
🌄Creating a Typescript Node.js Project
Run below script to create default node.js project.
npm init --y
Step 1- Install Dependencies
Run below script to get all of the dependencies
npm i -D wepack-cli webpack typescript ts-loader declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin copy-webpack-plugin clean-webpack-plugin @types/node @types/webpack
package.json looks like this:
{
"name": "@scci-questions/itemslibrary-contracts-app",
"version": "1.0.0",
"description": "",
"main": "index.js",
"scripts": {},
"keywords": [],
"author": "",
"license": "ISC",
"devDependencies": {
"@types/node": "^12.0.4",
"@types/webpack": "^4.4.32",
"clean-webpack-plugin": "^3.0.0",
"copy-webpack-plugin": "^5.0.3",
"declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin": "^1.0.3",
"ts-loader": "^6.0.1",
"typescript": "^3.5.1",
"webpack": "^4.32.2",
"webpack-cli": "^3.3.2",
"wepack-cli": "0.0.1-security"
}
}
Step 2- Add TSConfig File ( required for typescript project)
Add tsconfig file at the root of the project tsconfig.json
{
"compilerOptions": {
"module": "commonjs",
"noImplicitAny": true,
"removeComments": true,
"preserveConstEnums": true,
"sourceMap": true,
"declaration": true,
"moduleResolution": "node",
"outDir": "./dist",
"rootDir": "."
},
"include": ["src"]
}
Step 3- Create Calculator.ts file
src\calculator.ts
export class Calculator {
static version = '1'
constructor() {}
add(a: number, b: number) {
console.log(`version ${Calculator.version}`)
return a + b
}
}
Step 4- Create Index.ts File
create index file to export all of the public apis/modules.
src\index.ts
export * from './calculator'
🚿Creating Webpack.config.js file
Run below script to go with interactive webpack cli
npx webpack-cli init
Webpack cli will ask you below questions and then it will create the webpack.config.js file automatically See my answers to below questions.
? Will your application have multiple bundles? No
? Which module will be the first to enter the application? [default: ./src/index]
? Which folder will your generated bundles be in? [default: dist]:
? Will you be using ES2015? No
? Will you use one of the below CSS solutions? No
Will you be using ES2015?
Answer: No, since I will use Typescript therefore I answer No to below question.
Will you use one of the below CSS solutions?
Answer: No, since My project is purely typescript library project I don't have web project also I don't have html css. Therefore, I selected no for CSS question.
Adding Entry Point in Webpack
entry: {
"mylib": path.resolve(__dirname, 'src/index.ts')
},
Adding Typescript Loader
Add below rule in your webpack.config.js file.
module: {
rules: [
{
test: /\.ts$/,
exclude: [/node_modules/],
loader: 'ts-loader'
}
]
},
Remove Chunk Hashing
Normally webpack will create a bundle file with hashed file name. I personally don't like it therefore I am removing the hash from output. Feel free to skip this step.
webpack.config.js
output: {
chunkFilename: '[name].js',
filename: '[name].js'
},
Add devtools
In webpack.config.js add devtool
devtool:'source-map',
Add Resolve for Typescript extensions
In webpack.config.js add resolve
resolve: { extensions: ['.ts'] },
🔧Add Build Script in package.json
"scripts": {
"build": "webpack"
},
Now if you run npm run build you should see the dist folder to be created with your output file.
Build Output in Dist Folder:
🍺Create TypeDefinition Bundle
It is always a good idea to also create type definition bundle so that your library can be used by other projects and they can get the type intellisense.
Step 1- add fix for type definition bundler webpack plugin
Add below file declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin.fix.js
const DeclarationBundlerPlugin = require('declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin')
let buggyFunc = DeclarationBundlerPlugin.prototype.generateCombinedDeclaration
DeclarationBundlerPlugin.prototype.generateCombinedDeclaration = function(
declarationFiles ) { for (var fileName in declarationFiles) { let
declarationFile = declarationFiles[fileName] declarationFile.\_value =
declarationFile.\_value || declarationFile.source() } return
buggyFunc.call(this, declarationFiles) }
module.exports = DeclarationBundlerPlugin
Step 2- add DeclarationBundlerPlugin to webpack.config.js
const DeclarationBundlerPlugin = require('./declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin.fix')
... plugins: [ new UglifyJSPlugin(), new DeclarationBundlerPlugin({ moduleName:
'"mylib"', out: '@types/index.d.ts' }) ], ...
Complete webpack.config.js file looks like below:
const webpack = require('webpack')
const path = require('path')
const DeclarationBundlerPlugin = require('./declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin.fix')
const UglifyJSPlugin = require('uglifyjs-webpack-plugin')
module.exports = { entry: { mylib: path.resolve(\_\_dirname, 'src/index.ts') },
module: { rules: [ { test: /\.ts$/, exclude: [/node_modules/],
loader: 'ts-loader' } ] }, resolve: { extensions: ['.ts'] }, output: {
chunkFilename: '[name].js', filename: '[name].js' },
mode: 'development',
plugins: [
new UglifyJSPlugin(),
new DeclarationBundlerPlugin({
moduleName: '"mylib"',
out: '@types/index.d.ts'
})
],
devtool: 'source-map',
optimization: {
splitChunks: {
cacheGroups: {
vendors: {
priority: -10,
test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/
}
},
chunks: 'async',
minChunks: 1,
minSize: 30000,
name: true
}
}
}
Step 3- Create Build
Now run npm run build It will crate dist folder with library bundle and type definition bundle as well.
Dist folder with mylib.js and @types
🌱Clean up dist folder before create bundle.
Add below code in webpack.config.js
const { CleanWebpackPlugin } = require('clean-webpack-plugin')
plugins: [
new CleanWebpackPlugin(),
...
],
Now add some garbage files in dist folder and run npm run build you should see your garbage files are deleted and only types and lib files are there.
📠Copy your library package.json to your dist folder
You should copy package.json to dist folder so that you can publish your dist folder to npm.org
Step 1- Create src\package.json file with below code.
{
"name": "my-sample-typescript",
"version": "1.0.0",
"description": "My Library",
"author": "",
"license": "ISC"
}
Step 3- Copy package.json after build
Add below webpack plugin to copy package.json file to dist.
const CopyWebpackPlugin = require('copy-webpack-plugin')
plugins: [ ... new CopyWebpackPlugin([ { from: './src/package.json', to:
'../dist/package.json' } ]) ],
Now if you run the npm run build you should see package.json file in your dist folder
🏆Commit Link : https://github.com/rupeshtiwari/setup-webpack-from-scratch-for-typescript/commit/fc1a1cd7c240f63877957083cbe84fce72db975e
📝Creating Typescript documentation of your project
Read my article for detail insight https://blog.rupeshtiwari.com/how-to-create-documentation-of-any-typescript-project/
Step 1- Install typedoc
Run below script to install typedoc and webpack plugin for typedoc
npm i -D typedoc-webpack-plugin typedoc
Step 2- Update webpack.config.js
Add below code in your webpack.config.js file.
const TypedocWebpackPlugin = require('typedoc-webpack-plugin')
plugins: [ ... new TypedocWebpackPlugin({ out: 'docs' }) ],
Now if you run the npm run build you should see docs folder created you can browse via any browser and see them. 👌
🏆Commit Link : https://github.com/rupeshtiwari/setup-webpack-from-scratch-for-typescript/commit/33ca92547efbead58cb783a78fa51d847db7d2b4
Final webpack.config file is here
const webpack = require('webpack')
const path = require('path')
const DeclarationBundlerPlugin = require('./declaration-bundler-webpack-plugin.fix')
const { CleanWebpackPlugin } = require('clean-webpack-plugin')
const CopyWebpackPlugin = require('copy-webpack-plugin')
const TypedocWebpackPlugin = require('typedoc-webpack-plugin')
const UglifyJSPlugin = require('uglifyjs-webpack-plugin')
module.exports = { entry: { mylib: path.resolve(\_\_dirname, 'src/index.ts') },
module: { rules: [ { test: /\.ts$/, exclude: [/node_modules/], loader:
'ts-loader' } ] }, resolve: { extensions: ['.ts'] }, output: { chunkFilename:
'[name].js', filename: '[name].js' },
mode: 'development',
plugins: [
new CleanWebpackPlugin(),
new UglifyJSPlugin(),
new DeclarationBundlerPlugin({
moduleName: '"mylib"',
out: '@types/index.d.ts'
}),
new CopyWebpackPlugin([
{
from: './src/package.json',
to: '../dist/package.json'
}
]),
new TypedocWebpackPlugin({
out: 'docs'
})
],
devtool: 'source-map',
optimization: {
splitChunks: {
cacheGroups: {
vendors: {
priority: -10,
test: /[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/
}
},
chunks: 'async',
minChunks: 1,
minSize: 30000,
name: true
}
}
} 
