Advanced Module Federation Techniques

1. Introduction

Module Federation is a feature of Webpack 5 that enables multiple Webpack builds to work together. This allows for micro frontends, where different teams can deploy their parts of the application independently. In this lesson, we explore advanced techniques for implementing Module Federation in your micro frontend architecture.

2. Key Concepts

2.1 Micro Frontends

Micro frontends allow teams to work independently on different parts of a frontend application, promoting scalability and reducing dependencies.

2.2 Module Federation

Module Federation enables dynamic loading of modules from other builds at runtime. It allows applications to share code with each other without needing to bundle everything together.

2.3 Remote Modules

These are modules that are loaded from remote sources, allowing applications to utilize code from other applications seamlessly.

3. Configuration

To set up Module Federation in your application, you will primarily work with the Webpack configuration file.

Note: Ensure you are using Webpack 5 or higher to access Module Federation features.

3.1 Host Application Configuration


module.exports = {
    // other configurations
    plugins: [
        new ModuleFederationPlugin({
            name: 'host_app',
            remotes: {
                remote_app: 'remote_app@http://localhost:3001/remoteEntry.js',
            },
            shared: {
                react: { singleton: true },
                'react-dom': { singleton: true },
            },
        }),
    ],
};

3.2 Remote Application Configuration


module.exports = {
    // other configurations
    plugins: [
        new ModuleFederationPlugin({
            name: 'remote_app',
            filename: 'remoteEntry.js',
            exposes: {
                './Component': './src/Component',
            },
            shared: {
                react: { singleton: true },
                'react-dom': { singleton: true },
            },
        }),
    ],
};

4. Best Practices

Use singleton modules for shared libraries like React and React DOM.
Avoid circular dependencies between remote and host applications.
Keep the remote entry file small to reduce load times.
Utilize versioning for shared modules to handle breaking changes.
Use TypeScript for better type safety across different micro frontends.

5. FAQ

What is Module Federation?

Module Federation is a feature in Webpack 5 that allows developers to share and load code dynamically between different applications at runtime.

Can I use Module Federation with React?

Yes, Module Federation works seamlessly with React and can be used to share React components across micro frontends.

Is it possible to share state between micro frontends?

While Module Federation does not provide state management directly, you can use shared libraries like Redux or Context API to manage shared state across micro frontends.

6. Workflow for Setting Up Module Federation


            graph TD;
                A[Start] --> B[Configure Host App];
                B --> C[Configure Remote App];
                C --> D[Set Up Shared Dependencies];
                D --> E[Test Integration];
                E --> F[Deploy Applications];
                F --> G[Monitor Performance];
                G --> H[Iterate];
                H --> A;