peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin

1.0.4 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript maintenance

Webpack plugin (v1.0.4) that automatically adds a library's peerDependencies to webpack's externals configuration, preventing them from being bundled. This keeps bundle size minimal and avoids duplicate dependencies when the library is consumed. Requires webpack >=2.0.0. A lightweight alternative to manually listing externals or using other dependency exclusion plugins. Stable with no active development.

Common errors

error Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'react' ↓

cause React is a peerDependency but not excluded from the bundle because PeerDepsExternalsPlugin is not configured.

fix

Add new PeerDepsExternalsPlugin() to webpack plugins array.

error TypeError: PeerDepsExternalsPlugin is not a constructor ↓

cause Importing the plugin incorrectly (e.g., using named import when it's a default export).

fix

Use const PeerDepsExternalsPlugin = require('peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin');

error ./node_modules/.bin/webpack: line 1: unexpected EOF while looking for matching ``' ↓

cause Shell quoting issue when peerDependencies contain environment variable syntax (e.g., ${npm_package_peerDependencies}) in older versions.

fix

Upgrade webpack and the plugin to latest versions; or avoid using shell variables in peerDependencies.

Warnings

gotcha Plugin only reads peerDependencies from the nearest package.json. If a library is nested (e.g., in monorepo), externals may be incorrect. ↓

fix Ensure that the webpack process is run in the directory where package.json with peerDependencies resides, or set context in webpack config.

gotcha Plugin uses all peerDependencies from package.json; it does not filter based on environment (e.g., react vs react-dom for browser). ↓

fix Manually edit externals or use a function for fine-grained externals control if needed.

deprecated Plugin is no longer actively maintained; last release in 2021. May not support webpack 5+ features like module federation. ↓

fix Consider alternatives like webpack-node-externals or manual externals configuration.

Install

npm install peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin

yarn add peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin

pnpm add peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin

Imports

PeerDepsExternalsPlugin
wrong
```
import PeerDepsExternalsPlugin from 'peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin';
```
correct
```
const PeerDepsExternalsPlugin = require('peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin');
```
CommonJS require is the standard for webpack configs; ESM syntax may not work depending on Node.js version and project configuration.

PeerDepsExternalsPlugin

wrong

const PeerDepsExternalsPlugin = require('peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin').PeerDepsExternalsPlugin;

correct

const { PeerDepsExternalsPlugin } = require('peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin');

Default export is a function, not an object; destructuring the named export is incorrect.

PeerDepsExternalsPlugin (type)
wrong
```
import { PeerDepsExternalsPlugin } from 'peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin';
```
correct
```
import PeerDepsExternalsPlugin from 'peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin';
```
TypeScript users: the package does not ship type definitions; use @types/peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin if available or declare module.

Quickstart

Configures webpack to automatically exclude peer dependencies from the bundle using PeerDepsExternalsPlugin.

// webpack.config.js
const PeerDepsExternalsPlugin = require('peer-deps-externals-webpack-plugin');

module.exports = {
  entry: './src/index.js',
  output: {
    path: __dirname + '/dist',
    filename: 'bundle.js',
    libraryTarget: 'commonjs2', // or 'umd' for libraries
  },
  plugins: [
    new PeerDepsExternalsPlugin(),
  ],
};