Federation Overview
Apr 1, 2024
Module Federation is a bundling strategy that allows developers to share pieces of their independently bundled and deployed applications with other independently bundled and deployed applications while sharing dependencies.
Module Federation offers several benefits for modern web application development:
- Code sharing: It allows you to share code between different applications without the need to publish packages to a registry or duplicate code across projects. This reduces code duplication and makes it easier to maintain a consistent end product look and feel.
- Runtime integration: Applications can dynamically load code from other applications at runtime, enabling seamless integration between independently deployed applications. This allows for greater flexibility and easier updates to specific parts of an application.
- Independent deployment: Each application can be developed, tested, and deployed independently, without affecting the other applications that share its modules. This enables teams to work more efficiently and reduces the risk of conflicts or breaking changes.
Building blocks
Module Federation is built on top of several key concepts and technologies:
- Modules: In the context of Module Federation, a module is a self-contained piece of code that can be shared between applications. Modules can be anything from a single component to a complete feature or section of an application.
- Remotes: A remote is an independently deployed application that exposes modules to be consumed by other applications. Remotes are identified by a unique name and URL.
- Hosts: A host is an application that consumes modules from one or more remotes. A host can also be a remote and expose its own modules to be consumed by other applications.
- Shared dependencies: Module Federation allows applications to share dependencies, such as libraries or frameworks, to avoid duplicating them in each application. This reduces the overall bundle size and improves performance by reducing network activity.
Unlocked possibilities
Module Federation unlocks several exciting possibilities for modern web application development:
- Microfrontends: Module Federation enables the creation of microfrontends, where a single application is composed of multiple smaller, independently developed and deployed frontends. This allows for greater flexibility, scalability, and maintainability of large, complex applications.
- Plugin architecture: With Module Federation, you can create a plugin architecture where new features or functionalities can be added to an application without modifying its core codebase. This enables extensibility and customization of applications based on specific needs or requirements.
- Dynamic loading: Module Federation allows for dynamic loading of modules at runtime, enabling applications to load features or components on-demand, based on user interactions or other triggers. This can significantly improve the performance and user experience of applications by reducing the initial bundle size and loading time.
- A/B testing: Module Federation facilitates A/B testing by allowing different versions of a module to be loaded based on certain conditions or user segments. This enables data-driven decision-making and optimization of application features and user experience.
- Incremental adoption: With Module Federation, you can incrementally adopt new technologies or frameworks within an existing application by gradually replacing old modules with new ones. This reduces the risk and effort associated with complete rewrites or migrations.
Build cool shit
Module Federation is a powerful tool that enables developers to create modern, flexible, and scalable web applications. By leveraging its capabilities, you can build innovative solutions that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve.
Some examples of cool things you can build with Module Federation include:
- Personalized experiences: Create dynamic, personalized user experiences by loading different modules based on user preferences, behavior, or context.
- Collaborative platforms: Build collaborative platforms where multiple teams can contribute their expertise and functionalities to create a cohesive, feature-rich application.
- Extensible e-commerce systems: Develop e-commerce systems that can be easily extended with new features, payment gateways, or integrations without modifying the core platform.
- Multi-tenant applications: Create multi-tenant applications where each tenant can have their own customized version of the application, with specific features, branding, and configurations.
- Interactive educational content: Build interactive educational content that combines modules from different sources, such as quizzes, simulations, and multimedia elements, to create engaging learning experiences.
The possibilities are endless, and Module Federation provides the foundation for building innovative, future-proof web applications. So go ahead, unleash your creativity, and build some cool shit!