webpack-dev-server

Use webpack with a development server that provides live reloading. This should be used for development only.

It uses webpack-dev-middleware under the hood, which provides fast in-memory access to the webpack assets.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Usage
  • With the CLI
  • With NPM Scripts
  • The Result
• Browser Support
• Support
• Contributing
• Attribution
• License

Getting Started

First things first, install the module:

npm install webpack-dev-server --save-dev

Note: While you can install and run webpack-dev-server globally, we recommend installing it locally. webpack-dev-server will always use a local installation over a global one.

Usage

There are two main, recommended methods of using the module:

With the CLI

The easiest way to use it is with the webpack CLI. In the directory where your webpack.config.js is, run:

npx webpack serve

Following options are available with webpack serve:

Usage: webpack serve|server|s [entries...] [options]

Run the webpack dev server.

Options:
  -c, --config                    Provide path to a webpack configuration file e.g. ./webpack.config.js.
  --config-name                   Name of the configuration to use.
  -m, --merge                               Merge two or more configurations using 'webpack-merge'.
  --env                           Environment passed to the configuration when it is a function.
  --node-env                         Sets process.env.NODE_ENV to the specified value.
  --progress [value]                        Print compilation progress during build.
  -j, --json [value]                        Prints result as JSON or store it in a file.
  -d, --devtool                      Determine source maps to use.
  --no-devtool                              Do not generate source maps.
  --entry                         The entry point(s) of your application e.g. ./src/main.js.
  --mode                             Defines the mode to pass to webpack.
  --name                             Name of the configuration. Used when loading multiple configurations.
  -o, --output-path                  Output location of the file generated by webpack e.g. ./dist/.
  --stats [value]                           It instructs webpack on how to treat the stats e.g. verbose.
  --no-stats                                Disable stats output.
  -t, --target                    Sets the build target e.g. node.
  --no-target                               Negative 'target' option.
  --watch-options-stdin                     Stop watching when stdin stream has ended.
  --no-watch-options-stdin                  Do not stop watching when stdin stream has ended.
  --allowed-hosts                 Allows to enumerate the hosts from which access to the dev server are allowed (useful when you are proxying
                                            dev server, by default is 'auto').
  --allowed-hosts-reset                     Clear all items provided in 'allowedHosts' configuration. Allows to enumerate the hosts from which access to
                                            the dev server are allowed (useful when you are proxying dev server, by default is 'auto').
  --bonjour                                 Allows to broadcasts dev server via ZeroConf networking on start.
  --no-bonjour                              Negative 'bonjour' option.
  --no-client                               Negative 'client' option.
  --client-logging                   Allows to specify options for client script in the browser or disable client script.
  --client-overlay                          Enables a full-screen overlay in the browser when there are compiler errors or warnings.
  --no-client-overlay                       Negative 'client-overlay' option.
  --client-overlay-errors                   Enables a full-screen overlay in the browser when there are compiler errors.
  --no-client-overlay-errors                Negative 'client-overlay-errors' option.
  --client-overlay-warnings                 Enables a full-screen overlay in the browser when there are compiler warnings.
  --no-client-overlay-warnings              Negative 'client-overlay-warnings' option.
  --client-progress                         Prints compilation progress in percentage in the browser.
  --no-client-progress                      Negative 'client-progress' option.
  --client-web-socket-transport      Allows to set custom web socket transport to communicate with dev server.
  --client-web-socket-url            Allows to specify URL to web socket server (useful when you're proxying dev server and client script does
                                            not always know where to connect to).
  --client-web-socket-url-hostname   Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided hostname.
  --client-web-socket-url-pathname   Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided path to connect.
  --client-web-socket-url-password   Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided password to authenticate.
  --client-web-socket-url-port       Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided port.
  --client-web-socket-url-protocol   Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided protocol.
  --client-web-socket-url-username   Tells clients connected to devServer to use the provided username to authenticate.
  --compress                                Enables gzip compression for everything served.
  --no-compress                             Negative 'compress' option.
  --history-api-fallback                    Allows to proxy requests through a specified index page (by default 'index.html'), useful for Single Page
                                            Applications that utilise the HTML5 History API.
  --no-history-api-fallback                 Negative 'history-api-fallback' option.
  --host                             Allows to specify a hostname to use.
  --hot [value]                             Enables Hot Module Replacement.
  --no-hot                                  Negative 'hot' option.
  --http2                                   Allows to serve over HTTP/2 using SPDY.
  --no-http2                                Negative 'http2' option.
  --https                                   Allows to configure the server's listening socket for TLS (by default, dev server will be served over HTTP).
  --no-https                                Negative 'https' option.
  --https-passphrase                 Passphrase for a pfx file.
  --https-request-cert                      Request for an SSL certificate.
  --no-https-request-cert                   Negative 'https-request-cert' option.
  --https-cacert                     Path to an SSL CA certificate.
  --https-key                        Path to an SSL key.
  --https-pfx                        Path to an SSL pfx file.
  --https-cert                       Path to an SSL certificate.
  --ipc [value]                             Listen to a unix socket.
  --live-reload                             Enables reload/refresh the page(s) when file changes are detected (enabled by default).
  --no-live-reload                          Negative 'live-reload' option.
  --open [value...]                         Allows to configure dev server to open the browser(s) and page(s) after server had been started (set it to
                                            true to open your default browser).
  --no-open                                 Negative 'open' option.
  --open-target                   Opens specified page in browser.
  --open-app-name                 Open specified browser.
  --open-app                      Open specified browser.
  --open-reset                              Clear all items provided in 'open' configuration. Allows to configure dev server to open the browser(s) and
                                            page(s) after server had been started (set it to true to open your default browser).
  --open-target-reset                       Clear all items provided in 'open.target' configuration. Opens specified page in browser.
  --open-app-name-reset                     Clear all items provided in 'open.app.name' configuration. Open specified browser.
  --port                             Allows to specify a port to use.
  --static [value...]                       Allows to configure options for serving static files from directory (by default 'public' directory).
  --no-static                               Negative 'static' option.
  --static-directory              Directory for static contents.
  --static-public-path            The static files will be available in the browser under this public path.
  --static-serve-index                      Tells dev server to use serveIndex middleware when enabled.
  --no-static-serve-index                   Negative 'static-serve-index' option.
  --static-watch                            Watches for files in static content directory.
  --no-static-watch                         Negative 'static-watch' option.
  --static-reset                            Clear all items provided in 'static' configuration. Allows to configure options for serving static files
                                            from directory (by default 'public' directory).
  --static-public-path-reset                Clear all items provided in 'static.publicPath' configuration. The static files will be available in the
                                            browser under this public path.
  --watch-files                   Allows to configure list of globs/directories/files to watch for file changes.
  --watch-files-reset                       Clear all items provided in 'watchFiles' configuration. Allows to configure list of globs/directories/files
                                            to watch for file changes.
  --web-socket-server                Allows to set web socket server and options (by default 'ws').
  --no-web-socket-server                    Negative 'web-socket-server' option.

Global options:
  --color                                   Enable colors on console.
  --no-color                                Disable colors on console.
  -v, --version                             Output the version number of 'webpack', 'webpack-cli' and 'webpack-dev-server' and commands.
  -h, --help [verbose]                      Display help for commands and options.

To see list of all supported commands and options run 'webpack --help=verbose'.

Webpack documentation: https://webpack.js.org/.
CLI documentation: https://webpack.js.org/api/cli/.
Made with ♥ by the webpack team.

Note: For more information on above options explore this link.

With NPM Scripts

NPM package.json scripts are a convenient and useful means to run locally installed binaries without having to be concerned about their full paths. Simply define a script as such:

{
  "scripts": {
    "serve": "webpack serve"
  }
}

And run the following in your terminal/console:

npm run serve

NPM will automagically reference the binary in node_modules for you, and execute the file or command.

The Result

Either method will start a server instance and begin listening for connections from localhost on port 8080.

webpack-dev-server is configured by default to support live-reload of files as you edit your assets while the server is running.

See the documentation for more use cases and options.

Browser Support

While webpack-dev-server transpiles the client (browser) scripts to an ES5 state, the project only officially supports the last two versions of major browsers. We simply don't have the resources to support every whacky browser out there.

If you find a bug with an obscure / old browser, we would actively welcome a Pull Request to resolve the bug.

Support

We do our best to keep Issues in the repository focused on bugs, features, and needed modifications to the code for the module. Because of that, we ask users with general support, "how-to", or "why isn't this working" questions to try one of the other support channels that are available.

Your first-stop-shop for support for webpack-dev-server should be the excellent documentation for the module. If you see an opportunity for improvement of those docs, please head over to the webpack.js.org repo and open a pull request.

From there, we encourage users to visit the webpack Gitter chat and talk to the fine folks there. If your quest for answers comes up dry in chat, head over to StackOverflow and do a quick search or open a new question. Remember; It's always much easier to answer questions that include your webpack.config.js and relevant files!

If you're twitter-savvy you can tweet #webpack with your question and someone should be able to reach out and lend a hand.

If you have discovered a 🐛, have a feature suggestion, or would like to see a modification, please feel free to create an issue on Github. Note: The issue template isn't optional, so please be sure not to remove it, and please fill it out completely.

Contributing

We welcome your contributions! Please have a read of CONTRIBUTING.md for more information on how to get involved.

Attribution

This project is heavily inspired by peerigon/nof5.

License

MIT