Require is not defined on reflect-metadata - __web

Question

I'm trying to launch my angular app on visual studio but when it starts, it stucks on "Loading..." section.

If i read Chrome's error console i get the following error:

Uncaught ReferenceError: require is not defined at Object. < anonymous > __ webpack_require __

The reflect-metadata contains the following: module.exports = require("reflect-metadata"); , which "require" causes the error.

---

Here's some of my code...

webpack.config.js

const path = require('path');    
const webpack = require('webpack');
const merge = require('webpack-merge');
const AotPlugin = require('@ngtools/webpack').AotPlugin;
const CheckerPlugin = require('awesome-typescript-loader').CheckerPlugin;
var nodeExternals = require('webpack-node-externals');

module.exports = (env) => {
    // Configuration in common to both client-side and server-side bundles
    const isDevBuild = !(env && env.prod);
    const sharedConfig = {

        externals: [nodeExternals()], // in order to ignore all modules in node_modules folder

        stats: { modules: false },
        context: __dirname,
        resolve: { extensions: [ '.js', '.ts' ] },
        output: {
            filename: '[name].js',
            publicPath: 'dist/' // Webpack dev middleware, if enabled, handles requests for this URL prefix
        },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.ts$/, use: isDevBuild ? ['awesome-typescript-loader?silent=true', 'angular2-template-loader', 'angular2-router-loader'] : '@ngtools/webpack' },
                { test: /\.html$/, use: 'html-loader?minimize=false' },
                { test: /\.css$/, use: [ 'to-string-loader', 'style-loader', isDevBuild ? 'css-loader' : 'css-loader?minimize' ] },
                { test: /\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|svg)$/, use: 'url-loader?limit=25000' }
            ]
        },
        plugins: [new CheckerPlugin()]
    };

    // Configuration for client-side bundle suitable for running in browsers
    const clientBundleOutputDir = './wwwroot/dist';
    const clientBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        entry: { 'main-client': './ClientApp/boot.browser.ts' },
        output: { path: path.join(__dirname, clientBundleOutputDir) },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./wwwroot/dist/vendor-manifest.json')
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [
            // Plugins that apply in development builds only
            new webpack.SourceMapDevToolPlugin({
                filename: '[file].map', // Remove this line if you prefer inline source maps
                moduleFilenameTemplate: path.relative(clientBundleOutputDir, '[resourcePath]') // Point sourcemap entries to the original file locations on disk
            })
        ] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new webpack.optimize.UglifyJsPlugin(),
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.browser.module#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.server.ts']
            })
        ])
    });

    // Configuration for server-side (prerendering) bundle suitable for running in Node
    const serverBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        resolve: { mainFields: ['main'] },
        entry: { 'main-server': './ClientApp/boot.server.ts' },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./ClientApp/dist/vendor-manifest.json'),
                sourceType: 'commonjs2',
                name: './vendor'
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.server.module#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.browser.ts']
            })
        ]),
        output: {
            libraryTarget: 'commonjs',
            path: path.join(__dirname, './ClientApp/dist')
        },

        target: 'node',
        devtool: 'inline-source-map'
    });

    return [clientBundleConfig, serverBundleConfig];
};

---

Searching on the internet, all of the troubleshooting suggests doing something on the systemjs.config file but mine is not an angular-cli app so I can't do it.

---

UPDATES SECTION

1. UPDATE #1

Looks like the problem is caused by webpack-node-externals executed in browser mode.

Got to find another way for that.

---

Got any troubleshooting or potential solution suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

---

2. UPDATE #2

I've made it, see my answer below

Answer 1

GOT IT!

The issue was caused by webpack-node-externals used on my common configuration.

See my question and my answer to my own question at the following: Webpack - Excluding node_modules with also keep a separated browser and server management for more details.

So, in a nutshell, the steps that I followed are these:

• Installing requireJS ==> http://requirejs.org/docs/node.html
• Removing externals: [nodeExternals()], // in order to ignore all modules in node_modules folder from my common webpack configuration and adding it under my server configuration (done before my question, but it's a really important step) [see webpack.config.js content in the question linked right above in this answer or in the snippet below]
• Adding target: 'node', before my externals point above, under my server side section (done before my question, but it's a really important step) [see webpack.config.js content in the question linked right above in this answer or in the snippet below]
  This makes sure that browser side keeps target:'web' (default target), and target becomes node just for the server.
• launched webpack config vendor command manually from powershell webpack --config webpack.config.vendor.js
• launched webpack config command manually from powershell webpack --config webpack.config.js

That worked for me! Hope It will works also for anyone else reading this question and encountering this issue!

---

webpack.config.js content:

const path = require('path');    
const webpack = require('webpack');
const merge = require('webpack-merge');
const AotPlugin = require('@ngtools/webpack').AotPlugin;
const CheckerPlugin = require('awesome-typescript-loader').CheckerPlugin;

var nodeExternals = require('webpack-node-externals');

module.exports = (env) => {
    // Configuration in common to both client-side and server-side bundles
    const isDevBuild = !(env && env.prod);
    const sharedConfig = {
        //removed from here, moved below.
        //externals: [nodeExternals()], // in order to ignore all modules in node_modules folder

        stats: { modules: false },
        context: __dirname,
        resolve: { extensions: [ '.js', '.ts' ] },
        output: {
            filename: '[name].js',
            publicPath: 'dist/' // Webpack dev middleware, if enabled, handles requests for this URL prefix
        },
        module: {
            rules: [
                { test: /\.ts$/, use: isDevBuild ? ['awesome-typescript-loader?silent=true', 'angular2-template-loader', 'angular2-router-loader'] : '@ngtools/webpack' },
                { test: /\.html$/, use: 'html-loader?minimize=false' },
                { test: /\.css$/, use: [ 'to-string-loader', 'style-loader', isDevBuild ? 'css-loader' : 'css-loader?minimize' ] },
                { test: /\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|svg)$/, use: 'url-loader?limit=25000' }
            ]
        },
        plugins: [new CheckerPlugin()]
    };

    // Configuration for client-side bundle suitable for running in browsers
    const clientBundleOutputDir = './wwwroot/dist';
    const clientBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        entry: { 'main-client': './ClientApp/boot.browser.ts' },
        output: { path: path.join(__dirname, clientBundleOutputDir) },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./wwwroot/dist/vendor-manifest.json')
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [
            // Plugins that apply in development builds only
            new webpack.SourceMapDevToolPlugin({
                filename: '[file].map', // Remove this line if you prefer inline source maps
                moduleFilenameTemplate: path.relative(clientBundleOutputDir, '[resourcePath]') // Point sourcemap entries to the original file locations on disk
            })
        ] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new webpack.optimize.UglifyJsPlugin(),
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.browser.module#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.server.ts']
            })
        ])
    });

    // Configuration for server-side (prerendering) bundle suitable for running in Node
    const serverBundleConfig = merge(sharedConfig, {
        resolve: { mainFields: ['main'] },
        entry: { 'main-server': './ClientApp/boot.server.ts' },
        plugins: [
            new webpack.DllReferencePlugin({
                context: __dirname,
                manifest: require('./ClientApp/dist/vendor-manifest.json'),
                sourceType: 'commonjs2',
                name: './vendor'
            })
        ].concat(isDevBuild ? [] : [
            // Plugins that apply in production builds only
            new AotPlugin({
                tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
                entryModule: path.join(__dirname, 'ClientApp/app/app.server.module#AppModule'),
                exclude: ['./**/*.browser.ts']
            })
        ]),
        output: {
            libraryTarget: 'commonjs',
            path: path.join(__dirname, './ClientApp/dist')
        },

        //added target and externals HERE, in order to prevent webpack to read node_modules
        //this also prevents fake-positives parsing errors
        target: 'node',
        externals: [nodeExternals()], // in order to ignore all modules in node_modules folder,
            devtool: 'inline-source-map'
        });

    return [clientBundleConfig, serverBundleConfig];
};