Webpack-ify Node.js Server

README.md

Quick instructions for Webpack-ifying backend Node.js code:

• npm install --save-dev webpack-node-externals webpack webpack-cli nodemon
• Ensure main is within package.json
• Add *.dist.js to .gitignore
• Create included webpack.config.js
• Run npx webpack --watch in combination with npx nodemon MAIN.dist.js

To make things easier, additionally:

• npm install --save-dev nodemon
• Add node MAIN.js as the start script.
• Add nodemon MAIN.dist.js as the dev script.

webpack.config.js

const path = require('path');
const nodeExternals = require('webpack-node-externals');

const entry = './' + require('./package.json').main;
let outputFilename = path.basename(entry).replace(/(\.[^/.]+)$/, '.dist$1'); // Add .dist prefix to extension

module.exports = {
  mode: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development', // Run in development by default
  entry, // Copy the entry point from package.json
	target: 'node', // Tell webpack to compile for node
  externals: [nodeExternals()], // Ignore all modules in node_modules folder
  externalsPresets: {
    node: true // Ignore built-in modules
  },
	resolve: {
		extensions: ['.js'], // Allow imports that exclude .js extension
	},
  output: {
    filename: outputFilename,
    path: path.resolve(__dirname),
  },
};