run webpack BEFORE precompilation? #2237

Activity

1. jakeNiemiec commented on Aug 19, 2019

   

   jakeNiemiec

   on Aug 19, 2019

   Member

   More actions

   See following docs, this can be configured:

   • https://github.com/rails/webpacker#custom-rails-environments
   • https://github.com/rails/webpacker/blob/master/docs/deployment.md#deployment

   I saw you need multiple versions of react. The only way I know of to do this is with engines.
2. catmando commented on Aug 20, 2019

   

   catmando

   on Aug 20, 2019

   Author

   More actions

   @jakeNiemiec thanks for the response.

   Unless I am missing something, "custom rails environment" etc, just lets you have different builds depending on whether you are on staging/production/test etc.

   The problem here is a bit different. React prerendering requires two DIFFERENT sets of assets depending on whether the code will run on the server (prerendering) or on the client.

   The problem is easily solved by having two different packs: One for the client (i.e. client_only.js) and one for the common elements that run on client and server (client_and_server.js)

   This is all fine but the problem is that when the assets are precompiled, these packs must already exist.

   However webpacker first runs precompile, THEN runs webpack. The order simply needs to be swapped.

   For now the work around is to add this to the application Rake file:

   puts "Warning: Hyperstack is running yarn install and webpacker:compile BEFORE assets:precompile"
   # determine if we should use built in yarn:install or use webpacker:yarn_install
   yarn_installer = (Rails::VERSION::MAJOR == 5 && Rails::VERSION::MINOR == 0) ? 'webpacker:yarn_install' : 'yarn:install'
   # install yarn and compile packs BEFORE assets:precompile
   Rake::Task["assets:precompile"].enhance([yarn_installer, 'webpacker:compile'])

   This works fine, but its a bit cludgy.

   The question is would a PR be accepted that reverses the order?
3. jakeNiemiec commented on Aug 20, 2019

   

   jakeNiemiec

   on Aug 20, 2019

   Member

   More actions

   Unless I am missing something, "custom rails environment" etc, just lets you have different builds depending on whether you are on staging/production/test etc.... However webpacker first runs precompile, THEN runs webpack.

   I intended to show you that we have a flag to disable the precompiling behavior:

   

   You can find this reflected in the code:
   

   webpacker/lib/tasks/webpacker/compile.rake

   Lines 42 to 51 in c506521

   	# Compile packs after we've compiled all other assets during precompilation
   	skip_webpacker_precompile = %w(no false n f).include?(ENV["WEBPACKER_PRECOMPILE"])
   	unless skip_webpacker_precompile
   	if Rake::Task.task_defined?("assets:precompile")
   	enhance_assets_precompile
   	else
   	Rake::Task.define_task("assets:precompile" => ["webpacker:yarn_install", "webpacker:compile"])
   	end
   	end

   Any PRs that enhance or better define this functionality are very welcome. You would just need to make sure not to break any functionality for the different libraries that webpacker supports and to update any documentation that references the old flow.
4. catmando commented on Aug 21, 2019

   

   catmando

   on Aug 21, 2019

   Last edited by catmando

   Author

   More actions

   okay so I propose to do it like this:

   change the meaning of WEBPACKER_PRECOMPILE so that "no/false/n/f" works the same as today, but WEBPACKER_PRECOMPILE=after means run precompilation AFTER running webpacker. Otherwise behavior is like it is today.

   I also wonder if while I am at it, if it would be appropriate to add an option to the .yml file, that would work like the environment variable. That way you can keep all the config in one place:

   ...
     
     # control when pre-compilation of packs occurs:
     precompile: after # after is default (i.e. current behavior), alias is true
     precompile: manual # don't hook into assets:precompile, alias is false
     precompile: before # hook into assets:precompile BEFORE assets:precompile

   if the WEBPACKER_PRECOMPILE env variable is set it takes precedence over the yaml file.

   👍React with 👍1Reacted by David Alejandro
5. catmando commented on Apr 5, 2021

   

   catmando

   on Apr 5, 2021

   Author

   More actions

   any progress on this?
6. justin808 commented on Dec 23, 2021

   

   justin808

   on Dec 23, 2021

   Contributor

   More actions

   @catmando you can modify the assets:precompile rake task on your own, so this might be more of a doc issue.

   If you want to add a PR for your proposed enhancement, I'll take a look.
7. justin808

   closed this as completedon Dec 23, 2021