webpack-dev-middleware

Note: The webpack-dev-middleware is for advanced users. See webpack-dev-server for a ready-to-use solution.

The webpack-dev-middleware is a small middleware for a connect-based middleware stack. It uses webpack to compile assets in-memory and serve them. When a compilation is running every request to the served webpack assets is blocked until we have a stable bundle.

You can use it in two modes:

• watch mode (default): The compiler recompiles on file change.
• lazy mode: The compiler compiles on every request to the entry point.

API

var webpackDevMiddleware = require("webpack-dev-middleware");
var webpack = require("webpack");

var compiler = webpack({
    // configuration
    output: { path: '/' }
});

app.use(webpackDevMiddleware(compiler, {
    // options
}));

options

noInfo

Display no info to console (only warnings and errors)

Default: false

quiet

Display nothing to the console

Default: false

lazy

Switch into lazy mode.

Default: false

filename

In lazy mode: Switch request should trigger the compilation.

In most cases this equals the webpack configuration option output.filename.

watchOptions.aggregateTimeout

Delay the rebuilt after the first change. Value is a time in ms.

Default: 300

watchOptions.poll

true: use polling

number: use polling with specified interval

Default: undefined

publicPath (required)

The path where to bind the middleware to the server.

In most cases this equals the webpack configuration option output.publicPath.

headers

Add custom headers. i. e. { "X-Custom-Header": "yes" }

stats

Output options for the stats. See node.js API.

middleware.invalidate()

Manually invalidate the compilation. Useful if stuff of the compiler has changed.

middleware.fileSystem

A readable (in-memory) filesystem that can access the compiled data.