webpack-cli

What is webpack-cli?

The webpack-cli npm package provides a command-line interface for the webpack bundler, which allows developers to interact with webpack and its features directly from the command line. It enables tasks such as creating a new webpack project, managing configurations, running the development server, and more.

What are webpack-cli's main functionalities?

Initializing a new webpack project

This command sets up a new webpack project by generating a default configuration file. It can also install webpack and related dependencies if they are not already installed.

webpack-cli init

Generating a configuration file

Generates a webpack configuration file based on the user's preferences. It can be used to quickly scaffold a new configuration or to update an existing one.

webpack-cli generate

Running a webpack build

Executes the webpack build process, which bundles the source files according to the webpack configuration. This is typically used for production builds.

webpack-cli build

Starting a development server

Starts the webpack development server, which provides a live reloading environment for development purposes. It watches for file changes and automatically recompiles the project.

webpack-cli serve

Running webpack in watch mode

Runs webpack in watch mode, where it watches for file changes and recompiles the project as necessary. This is useful during development to see changes reflected immediately.

webpack-cli watch

Other packages similar to webpack-cli

parcel-bundler

Parcel is a web application bundler that offers a similar zero-configuration experience to webpack. It focuses on speed and simplicity, with a built-in development server and hot module replacement. Unlike webpack-cli, Parcel does not require a separate CLI package to run commands.

rollup

Rollup is a module bundler for JavaScript that compiles small pieces of code into something larger and more complex, such as a library or application. It is known for its efficient output and tree-shaking capabilities. Rollup's CLI is included in the main package, unlike webpack which separates the CLI.

browserify

Browserify lets you require('modules') in the browser by bundling up all of your dependencies. It is an older tool compared to webpack and focuses on compatibility with Node.js modules. Browserify's CLI is also part of the main package.

README

Webpack CLI

Webpack CLI encapsulates all code related to CLI handling. It captures options and sends them to webpack compiler. You can also find functionality for initializing a project and migrating between versions. For the time being, it is backwards-compatible with the CLI included in webpack itself.

Migration from webpack v1 to v2

The migrate feature eases the transition from version 1 to version 2. migrate also allows users to switch to the new version of webpack without having to extensively refactor.

webpack-cli migrate <config>

Read more about migrating

Creating new webpack projects

The init feature allows users to get started with webpack, fast. Through scaffolding, people can create their own configuration in order to faster initialize new projects for various of use cases.

webpack-cli init webpack-addons-<package>

Read more about scaffolding