Can’t Set NODE_ENV to production with webpack
If you’re facing difficulties setting NODE_ENV to production with webpack, you’re not alone. Many developers encounter this issue when trying to build a production-ready react-redux application. In this blog post, we’ll explore the common pitfalls that might prevent the process.env.NODE_ENV variable from being correctly set and provide solutions to help you overcome this problem.
The Issue at Hand
Typically, when you run the command npm run build to build your application for production, the expectation is that the NODE_ENV environment variable will be set to production. However, in certain scenarios, this variable remains unchanged or defaults to another value, such as development.
Let’s take a look at the provided webpack configuration and package.json files to identify potential sources of the issue:
var webpack = require('webpack');
var path = require('path');
var ExtractTextPlugin = require("extract-text-webpack-plugin");
var HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
// Rest of the webpack configuration
new webpack.DefinePlugin({
'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV)
})
"scripts": {
"clean": "rimraf dist",
"build": "NODE_ENV=production npm run clean && webpack -p",
"serve": "webpack-dev-server"
}
The Root Cause
The issue stems from the way the process.env.NODE_ENV variable is set in the webpack configuration and the build script. In the provided code snippet, the environment variable is set using JSON.stringify(process.env.NODE_ENV). However, this approach relies on the value of process.env.NODE_ENV from the system environment, which may not be set correctly during the build process.
Solution 1: Export NODE_ENV within the Build Script
To ensure that the NODE_ENV variable is correctly set, modify the build script in the package.json file as follows:
"scripts": {
"clean": "rimraf dist",
"build": "export NODE_ENV=production && npm run clean && webpack -p",
"serve": "webpack-dev-server"
}
By adding export NODE_ENV=production before the npm run clean command, you ensure that the NODE_ENV variable is explicitly set to production before initiating the build process.
Solution 2: Set NODE_ENV for Each Process
If you prefer to avoid setting the NODE_ENV globally within the build script, you can set it individually for each process. Modify the build script in the package.json file as follows:
"scripts": {
"clean": "rimraf dist",
"build": "NODE_ENV=production npm run clean && NODE_ENV=production webpack -p",
"serve": "webpack-dev-server"
}
By adding NODE_ENV=production in front of both the npm run clean and webpack -p commands, you ensure that the NODE_ENV variable is explicitly set for each process involved in the build.
Conclusion
Setting NODE_ENV to production with webpack can sometimes be challenging. However, by understanding the potential pitfalls and implementing the solutions outlined in this article, you should now be able to ensure that process.env.NODE_ENV is correctly set to production during the build process of your react-redux application.
Remember, properly configuring the environment variable is essential for optimizing your application’s performance and enabling the appropriate production-specific settings. Happy coding!
