layer-pack

Webpack plugin to make inheritable code layers, named glob imports, easy multi packages app & shared webpack configs

What's Layer-pack ?

Layer-pack is a webpack plugin allowing better code maintainability and flexibility by solving some of the most major problems of large JS/TS applications :

• The first one, we often have to multiply internal imports in the project files. This usually leads to complex maintenance and (too) many import and require statements.
• The second is that we cannot easily "extend" an existing application, we are still forced to create various interfacing systems and APIs, maintain separates build configurations and dependencies lists.

Layer pack propose to solves theses problems using a more powerful import resolving concept:

• It "namespaces" the application files, so we can use absolute imports where we shouldn't use relative paths,
• It allows us to use glob patterns in import statements, so we can directly import files and a directory tree without specifying all of their names
• It literally allows to "inherit" layer pack based packages or "app layers", including theirs build configuration and dependencies

Also, it allows to define multiple profiles "inheriting" from different packages based on layer packs and using different root source code directories

You... like it / it saved your day / you stole all the code / you want more?

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Check the samples here

Small doc here

Main features :

Namespace you're application

So you can stop using easily broken relative imports :

// import stuff from "../../../config"; // no more
import stuff from "App/config"; // aw yeah

Use glob patterns in imports statements

Layer pack allow using glob patterns in imports statements :

import allModules from "App/modules/*.module.js";
// or
// import allModules from "App/modules/*/index.js";

It can also convert directories & files names to JS named exports :

// or using es6 named exports
import AllActionsByStoreName from "App/store/(*)/actions.js";
// or
import {MyCompByFileName} from "App/ui/components/(*).jsx"; // ( big import list to maintain ) no more ! :)
// or
import {myFolder} from "App/ui/components/(**/*).jsx"; // ( walk & set myFolder/MyComp in myFolder.MyComp )

Glob imports also work in Scss :

@import "App/ui/**/*.scss"; // 1 import to rulz them all

Split you're projects into multiple inheritable npm packages

• inherit & share most of the code between projects
• Include or not layers like dev tools, admin, etc
• Switch between monorepo and npm dependencies structure
• Test layers independently
• Compile in 1 step, with the source map
• Use multiple dev servers sharing the same code layers

Easily override inherited project

By enhancing / replacing any file

import $super from "$super";// require the 1st file with the same path name in the inherited packages

// Add some stuff or HOCs fn
export default class MyOverrided extend $super{
//...
}

@import "$super";

// do some css additions
.theSameWithA{
    backgroud : red;
}

Inherit, use & extend multiple webpack config from dependencies packages

So you can share, version, extend & switch your webpack conf & boilerplate via npm

Check the samples here

Small doc here

Things to know

• Using webpack features or plugin that depend or modify resolving may be tricky
• Node builds include the (node_)modules relative directories locations to preserve inherited dependencies
• Sass imports have limitations from the sass package who doesn't tell which file do imports to resolve but the root source file that was imported in webpack, so scss files must use absolute path ( eg: App/assets/stuff.jpg, not ./assets/stuff.jpg )
• Webpack 5 module cache.type = "filesystem" require resolve.cache=false in order to force regeneration of virtual indexes files
• Context based webpack requires are not processed by layer-pack, they have the normal webpack behavior

Alternative to

• Splitting big projects in thousands of modules
• Lerna, others mono-repo tool chains...

Contributors ?

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