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Migrating from Webpack to Vite

· Milan Kovacic

Are you considering migrating your project from Webpack to Vite? You’re not alone. With the rise of Vite as a faster and more efficient build tool for modern web development, many developers are looking to make the switch. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to successfully migrate from Webpack to Vite.

Why Migrate to Vite and When to Stick with Webpack

Before diving into the migration process, let’s briefly discuss why you might want to switch to Vite and under what circumstances Webpack might still be the better option.

Advantages of Vite:

  • Speed: Vite leverages ES module imports and serves your code via native ES modules during development, resulting in significantly better development experience, and faster build times compared to Webpack.
  • Simplicity: Vite offers a simpler and more intuitive configuration, with features like hot module replacement (HMR) out of the box.
  • Modern Build Pipeline: Vite is designed to work seamlessly with modern frontend frameworks like Vue.js and React, making it a natural choice for new projects or existing projects looking to modernize their workflow.

Advantages of Webpack:

  • Predictable Development and Production Behavior: During development, Vite uses esbuild, while for production builds it utilizes Rollup. This can result in differences between how the projects behave in development versus in production.
  • Customization: Webpack provides a high level of customization and flexibility, allowing you to tailor your build process to specific project requirements. If your project relies heavily on custom webpack configurations or plugins, switching to Vite may require significant adjustments.
  • Community Support: Webpack has been around for much longer than Vite and has a larger and more mature ecosystem. If you rely on community-maintained plugins or resources that are not yet available for Vite, sticking with Webpack may be the better option for now. One such example is the lack of “externals” during development.

Migration Steps

1. Scaffold a New Project with Vite

To begin your migration, start by creating a new project with Vite. This approach ensures you’re using the latest features and configurations provided by Vite. Run the following command:

npm create vite@latest

Follow the prompts to select a framework and variant (TypeScript or JavaScript, for example). This process creates a project with Vite’s optimal default configuration.

2. Assess Your Current Webpack Project

Understand the dependencies, configuration, and build requirements of your current Webpack project. This assessment will guide your migration strategy and help identify any potential challenges early on.

3. Install Vite and Configure Your Project

Install Vite as a development dependency in your existing project.

4. Create Side-by-Side Build and Run Scripts

To facilitate a gradual migration, maintain your Webpack setup while you transition. Implement side-by-side build and run scripts for Webpack and Vite in your package.json, allowing you to switch between the two as needed.

5. Test and Validate Vite Configuration

Run the Vite development and build scripts, and start fixing the issues. Even though Vite comes with a reasonable default configuration that covers a lot of use cases, if your existing Webpack configuration is complex, you might have to install additional plugins. This step-by-step approach helps minimize risk and allows for troubleshooting individual issues as they arise.

6. Adapt CI Pipelines

During the migration, ensure your pipeline utilizes both Vite and Webpack build scripts to identify potential issues.

7. Finalize the Migration

Once the migration is successful, remove Webpack configurations, replace Webpack scripts in package.json with Vite scripts, and clean up Webpack dependencies.

8. Next Steps

Once the migration to Vite is complete, you can look into utilizing more of the Vite ecosystem, such as replacing Jest with Vitest.

Conclusion

Migrating from Webpack to Vite offers significant benefits in terms of build speed, configuration simplicity, and modern framework compatibility. By following the outlined steps and taking a gradual approach to migration, you can minimize disruption and ensure a smooth transition for your project.

Looking to make the switch to Vite but need some expert guidance? Schedule a no-cost project discovery call, or discover how a Fractional CTO can guide your technology direction.