Webpack 5 introduced Module Federation, a powerful feature that allows you to share code dynamically across multiple webpack bundles. While this feature brings great benefits, debugging issues can be challenging due to its distributed nature.

In this article, we’ll explore some advanced debugging techniques to help you track down and fix issues when working with JavaScript Module Federation in Webpack 5.

1. Enable Verbose Logging

By default, Webpack provides minimal logging for JavaScript Module Federation. However, enabling verbose logging can give you more detailed information about what’s happening behind the scenes.

To enable verbose logging, add the following configuration to your webpack configuration file:

module.exports = {
  // ...other configurations
  experiments: {
    outputModule: true,
    buildHttp: ['my-remote']
  },
  infrastructureLogging: {
    level: 'verbose',
  },
};

With verbose logging enabled, you’ll get detailed information about the Module Federation setups, dependencies, and any potential issues during the build and runtime. This can be immensely helpful in understanding the internal workings of your federated modules.

2. Use the window[webpackJsonp] Object

During development, it can be useful to inspect the window[webpackJsonp] object created by Webpack when loading federated modules. This object contains information about the loaded chunks and can give you insights into the communication between modules.

To access the window[webpackJsonp] object, open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the console tab, and type:

console.log(window['webpackJsonp']);

You’ll see an output containing an array of modules and their dependencies. This can help you debug issues related to missing or incorrect module references.

#javascript #webpack5 #modulefederation #debugging

By following these advanced debugging techniques for JavaScript Module Federation in Webpack 5, you can gain better visibility into the inner workings of your federated modules and resolve issues more effectively.