banner image 1 banner image 2

Discover the Benefits of Module Federation: Unlocking the Power of Software Modularity!

January 19, 2023
9 mins
command
blog-img 1
Amar Balu
Author

This article gives you a brief knowledge about Benefits of Module Federation.

By Amar BaluA multi-sport champion!


Unlocking the Power of Software Modularity

Welcome to the exciting world of module federation! Whether you’re a software professional looking to learn more about this fascinating technology or just a curious reader looking to dig deeper into the software modularity trend, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’ll explore the basics of module federation, the benefits of this technology, how it works, and how it can be leveraged to create powerful, scalable software solutions.

What is Module Federation?

Module federation is a concept based on software modularity. It involves the division of software into smaller, independent modules that can be connected to create powerful, scalable applications. Module federation builds on the idea of “microservices” by allowing for the creation of truly modular applications that can be independently deployed and managed.

At its core, module federation is a way of structuring a software application in such a way that it can be broken down into smaller, interconnected parts that are easier to maintain and modify. This makes it easier to update and expand an application over time without having to rewrite the entire codebase. By leveraging the power of software modularity, developers can create highly scalable applications that can grow and evolve with the needs of the business.

Benefits of Module Federation

There are several key benefits to leveraging module federation in software development. First and foremost, module federation promotes code reuse. This means that developers can easily reuse code from one module into another, saving time and effort. Additionally, by breaking down the application into smaller modules, it’s easier to test and debug each component independently.

Another benefit of module federation is that it makes it easier to integrate third-party services into an application. By leveraging the power of software modularity, developers can quickly and easily connect different services together, allowing for rapid iteration and experimentation. This enables greater flexibility in the development process and makes it easier to add new features and functionality to an application.

Finally, module federation enables developers to create applications that are more easily scalable. By leveraging the power of software modularity, developers can quickly and easily add new features and functionality to an application without having to rewrite the entire codebase. This makes it easier to quickly and easily scale an application as the needs of the business change.

How does Module Federation work?

At its core, module federation is based on the concept of software modularity. By breaking down an application into smaller, independent modules, developers can more easily reuse code, integrate third-party services, and quickly and easily scale an application as the needs of the business change.

Module federation works by leveraging the power of webpack. Webpack is a popular JavaScript module bundler that allows developers to bundle multiple JavaScript modules together into a single bundle. This allows developers to create applications that are easier to maintain and update over time.

Webpack also allows developers to break down an application into smaller, independent modules that can be connected together. This makes it easier to reuse code from one module in another and quickly and easily integrate third-party services into an application.

Setting up webpack module federation

Setting up webpack module federation is relatively straightforward. Minimum webpack compatible version is 5 for setting the Module federation plugin.

The first step is to configure the webpack module federation plugin in the host application.

#Host Application Configuration

const { dependencies } = require('./package.json');

module.exports = {
name: 'host',
remotes: {
##RemoteName@Filename for accessing remote server
remote: 'remote@http://localhost:3002/remoteEntry.js',
},
## Dependencies shared to Remote Application
shared: {
...dependencies,
react: {
singleton: true,
requiredVersion: dependencies['react'],
},
'react-dom': {
singleton: true,
requiredVersion: dependencies['react-dom'],
},
},
};

This plugin allows developers to define the public path and the module namespace for the application.The public path defines the location of the application’s entry point, while the module namespace defines the namespace of the application.

## Remote Application Hosted on port 3002 
## Public path assigned to auto pointed to http://localhost:3002/
module.exports = {
entry: './src/index',
mode: 'development',
devtool: 'source-map',
optimization: {
minimize: false,
},
devServer: {
hot: true,
static: path.join(__dirname, 'dist'),
port: 3002,
liveReload: false,
},
output: {
publicPath: 'auto',
clean: true,
},
}

Once the webpack module federation plugin has been configured, developers can then begin to define the application’s modules.

Each module should have a unique name and should be configured with the relevant dependencies declared with shared configuration.

Once the modules have been defined, developers can then begin to “federate” the modules by connecting them together. The final step is to define the remote module. This module should be configured to use the webpack module federation plugin and should be the entry point for the application.

## Remote Application 
module.exports = {
## appname and filename served from Remote application
name: 'remote',
##Components exposed from remote server
exposes: {
'./Button': './src/Button',
},
filename: 'remoteEntry.js',
## Dependencies shared to Host Application
shared: {
...dependencies,
react: {
singleton: true,
requiredVersion: dependencies['react'],
},
'react-dom': {
singleton: true,
requiredVersion: dependencies['react-dom'],
},
},
};

Once the app module has been defined, developers can then begin to connect the various modules together to create the application.

Please refer this Github link for the example used, created with Create React App framework.

Benefits of webpack module federation

Webpack module federation provides several key benefits for developers. The most obvious benefit is that it makes it easier to create modular applications. By leveraging the power of webpack, developers can easily break down an application into smaller, independent modules that can be connected together. This makes it easier to reuse code from one module in another and quickly and easily integrate third-party services into an application.

Additionally, webpack module federation makes it easier to test and debug an application. By breaking down an application into smaller, independent modules, developers can more easily test and debug each component in isolation. This makes it easier to identify and resolve issues quickly and efficiently.

Finally, webpack module federation makes it easier to scale an application. By leveraging the power of software modularity, developers can quickly and easily add new features and functionality to an application without having to rewrite the entire codebase. This makes it easier to quickly and easily scale an application as the needs of the business change.

Strategies for leveraging module federation

When leveraging module federation, there are several key strategies that developers should keep in mind. First and foremost, developers should strive to keep their modules as small and independent as possible. This will make it easier to reuse code from one module in another and quickly and easily integrate third-party services into an application.

Additionally, developers should strive to keep their modules as self-contained as possible. This will make it easier to test and debug each module in isolation and will make it easier to scale the application over time.

Finally, developers should strive to keep their modules as loosely coupled as possible. This will make it easier to update and maintain the application over time without having to rewrite the entire codebase.

Best practices for Module Federation

When leveraging module federation, there are several key best practices that developers should keep in mind. First and foremost, developers should strive to keep their modules as small and independent as possible. This will make it easier to reuse code from one module in another and quickly and easily integrate third-party services into an application.

Additionally, developers should strive to keep their modules as self-contained as possible. This will make it easier to test and debug each module in isolation and will make it easier to scale the application over time.

Finally, developers should strive to keep their modules as loosely coupled as possible. This will make it easier to update and maintain the application over time without having to rewrite the entire codebase.

Examples of module federation in action

Module federation is being used by some of the most popular JavaScript frameworks, including React and Angular. By leveraging the power of webpack module federation, these frameworks can create powerful, scalable applications that can easily be updated and expanded over time.

Additionally, module federation is being used in some of the most popular software development tools, such as webpack, Rollup, and Parcel. By leveraging the power of software modularity, these tools can quickly and easily create powerful, scalable applications that can easily be updated and expanded over time.

Challenges of Module Federation

Despite the many benefits of module federation, there are a few challenges that developers should be aware of. First and foremost, module federation requires a deep understanding of webpack and software modularity. Without this knowledge, developers may find it difficult to create applications that are truly modular and scalable.

Additionally, module federation requires a significant amount of upfront planning and preparation. This is because developers need to carefully plan and structure the application in order to ensure that it is truly modular and scalable. Without this planning, developers may find that their application is difficult to maintain and update over time.

Finally, module federation requires a significant amount of testing and debugging. This is because developers need to carefully test and debug each module in isolation to ensure that the application is truly scalable and stable. Without this testing, developers may find that their application is prone to errors and bugs.

Conclusion

Module federation is a powerful concept that enables developers to create truly modular and scalable applications. By leveraging the power of software modularity, developers can quickly and easily create applications that are easier to maintain and update over time. Additionally, module federation makes it easier to integrate third-party services into an application and quickly and easily scale it as the needs of the business change.

If you’re a software professional looking to leverage the power of module federation to create powerful, scalable applications, React Js is the perfect choice. With its powerful webpack module federation plugin, React Js makes it easy to create truly modular and scalable applications that can easily be updated and expanded over time.

So, what are you waiting for? Start leveraging the power of module federation today and unlock the power of software modularity!

Liked my work, Want to say thanks? Offer me a Coffee

Thanks for reading. Happy learning 😊


References:

Module Federation examples

[embed]https://github.com/module-federation/module-federation-examples[/embed]

Webpack config:

[embed]https://github.com/module-federation/module-federation-examples[/embed]

Meet the team!

Author

Amar Balu

Editor

Seema Jain


We at CaratLane are solving some of the most intriguing challenges to make our mark in the relatively uncharted omnichannel jewellery industry. If you are interested in tackling such obstacles, feel free to drop your updated resume/CV to careers@caratlane.com!
blog-img 2

Discussions

blog-img 3
5 mins
May 17, 2023
Sharing Data Between Controllers: Best Practices S...

This article will help you to understand the diffe

By Naveen C

blog-img 3
5 mins
March 21, 2023
Understanding Auto Layout and Constraints in Swift...

This article gives you an easy way of understandin

By Ramasamy P