Can Webpack be used to produce only CSS files without generating the output.js file?

Question

Can Webpack be used to produce only CSS files without generating the output.js file?

I've integrated Webpack into my project alongside the extract-text-webpack-plugin.

Within my project, I have various build scripts. One of these scripts focuses solely on bundling and minifying CSS. While utilizing Webpack for other tasks, I decided to leverage its capabilities in bundling and minifying CSS as well.

The process is functioning correctly, except for one issue - I can't seem to eliminate the output.js file that is generated. My aim is to obtain only the bundled and minified CSS without any accompanying JS output.

Is there a method to remove the resulting JS file? If not, do you have any recommendations for alternative tools specifically tailored for handling CSS? Thank you.

css node.js npm bundling-and-minification webpack

Answer 1

Answer №1

Discover an Effortless Solution without the Need for Extra Tools

Unlocking a simple solution that doesn't require additional libraries, only utilizing what you already have: webpack with the extract-text-webpack-plugin.

To Summarize:

By ensuring the output js and css files share the same name, the css file will take precedence over the js file.

A Practical Illustration (utilizing webpack 2.x):

import path from 'path'
import ExtractTextPlugin from 'extract-text-webpack-plugin'

const config = {
  target: 'web',
  entry: {
    'one': './src/one.css',
    'two': './src/two.css'
  },
  output: {
    path: path.join(__dirname, './dist/'),
    filename: '[name].css' // the css file's name matches the js file's name
  },
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.css$/,
        use: ExtractTextPlugin.extract({
          fallback: 'style-loader',
          use: 'css-loader'
        })
      }
    ]
  },
  plugins: [
    new ExtractTextPlugin('[name].css') // the css file overrides the generated js file
  ]
}

Answer 2

Discover an Effortless Solution without the Need for Extra Tools

Unlocking a simple solution that doesn't require additional libraries, only utilizing what you already have: webpack with the extract-text-webpack-plugin.

To Summarize:

By ensuring the output js and css files share the same name, the css file will take precedence over the js file.

A Practical Illustration (utilizing webpack 2.x):

import path from 'path'
import ExtractTextPlugin from 'extract-text-webpack-plugin'

const config = {
  target: 'web',
  entry: {
    'one': './src/one.css',
    'two': './src/two.css'
  },
  output: {
    path: path.join(__dirname, './dist/'),
    filename: '[name].css' // the css file's name matches the js file's name
  },
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.css$/,
        use: ExtractTextPlugin.extract({
          fallback: 'style-loader',
          use: 'css-loader'
        })
      }
    ]
  },
  plugins: [
    new ExtractTextPlugin('[name].css') // the css file overrides the generated js file
  ]
}

Answer 3

Answer №2

Regrettably, at this time, it is not feasible as per the original design. webpack was initially developed as a JavaScript bundler with the capability to handle additional "web modules", such as CSS and HTML. The reason behind choosing JavaScript as the base language is because it can host all other languages simply as strings. The extract-text-webpack-plugin functions by extracting these strings into standalone files (thus its name).

If you are seeking a solution, you may find better results with PostCSS, which offers various plugins for effectively post-processing CSS.

Answer 4

Regrettably, at this time, it is not feasible as per the original design. webpack was initially developed as a JavaScript bundler with the capability to handle additional "web modules", such as CSS and HTML. The reason behind choosing JavaScript as the base language is because it can host all other languages simply as strings. The extract-text-webpack-plugin functions by extracting these strings into standalone files (thus its name).

If you are seeking a solution, you may find better results with PostCSS, which offers various plugins for effectively post-processing CSS.

Answer 5

Answer №3

To efficiently run webpack using the Node API and manage the output, consider utilizing the memory-fs feature. Simply instruct it to disregard the generated js-file. Adjust the webpackConfig output.path to "/" for optimal results.

let compiler = webpack(webpackConfig);
let mfs = new MemoryFS();
compiler.outputFileSystem = mfs;
compiler.run(function(errors, statistics) {
    if (statistics.hasErrors()) { throw(statistics.toString()); }
    mfs.readdirSync("/").forEach(function (file) {
        if (file === ("app.js")) { return; } // exclude js-file
        fs.writeFileSync(destination + file, mfs.readFileSync("/" + file));
    })
});

Answer 6

To efficiently run webpack using the Node API and manage the output, consider utilizing the memory-fs feature. Simply instruct it to disregard the generated js-file. Adjust the webpackConfig output.path to "/" for optimal results.

let compiler = webpack(webpackConfig);
let mfs = new MemoryFS();
compiler.outputFileSystem = mfs;
compiler.run(function(errors, statistics) {
    if (statistics.hasErrors()) { throw(statistics.toString()); }
    mfs.readdirSync("/").forEach(function (file) {
        if (file === ("app.js")) { return; } // exclude js-file
        fs.writeFileSync(destination + file, mfs.readFileSync("/" + file));
    })
});

Answer 7

Answer №4

To tidy up your dist directory and remove any unnecessary assets after the build process is complete, consider using the event-hooks-webpack-plugin.

//
plugins: [
        new EventHooksPlugin({
            'done': () => {
                // Remove unwanted assets 
            }
        })
    ]

Best of luck with your project!

Answer 8

To tidy up your dist directory and remove any unnecessary assets after the build process is complete, consider using the event-hooks-webpack-plugin.

//
plugins: [
        new EventHooksPlugin({
            'done': () => {
                // Remove unwanted assets 
            }
        })
    ]

Best of luck with your project!

Can Webpack be used to produce only CSS files without generating the output.js file?

Answer №1

Discover an Effortless Solution without the Need for Extra Tools

To Summarize:

A Practical Illustration (utilizing webpack 2.x):

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

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