Necessary to set the NODE_ENV in install files like config/webpack/production.js?

[justin808]

All the install files have this:

process.env.NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'
const environment = require('./environment')
module.exports = environment.toWebpackConfig()

Why do we need the first line? From what I can tell, the files are picked based on the NODE_ENV, so it seems impossible that this is out of sync. Furthermore, we could set the NODE_ENV if not set before running the file.

Here is where the NODE_ENV is used to pick what file is used, so I'm a bit puzzled as to how the NODE_ENV might not be set.

https://github.com/rails/webpacker/blob/master/lib/webpacker/runner.rb#L14

   @webpack_config        = File.join(@app_path, "config/webpack/#{ENV["NODE_ENV"]}.js")

If needed, we could set the process.env.NODE_ENV since these files are all run from the:

https://github.com/rails/webpacker/blob/master/lib/webpacker/webpack_runner.rb#L23

Kernel.exec env, *cmd

I left a code comment where this was introduced.

e616184#r37306278

[jakeNiemiec]

And the cmd value is based on the NODE_ENV to pick what file is used, so I'm a bit puzzled as to how the NODE_ENV might not be set.

I think you can call webpack without rails, but I haven't tested this recently. That line most likely comes from https://glebbahmutov.com/blog/do-not-use-node-env-for-staging/
Also keep this in mind: #1212 (comment)

I do agree that there could be room for tightening, but I haven't really done any dev work in this part of the codebase. It's kinda always "just worked". The only thing I would look out for is to ensure that users can still override the NODE_ENV from both the cmd line (running bins) & environment.js. (I'm not sure which would take precedence 🤔)

[justin808]

While I don't think the first line is necessary:

process.env.NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development'

It probably does no harm to keep it to ensure that it's set in case one will use a specific webpack config directly rather than calling the Rails bin/webpack.