A bundle should be a module

[paleo]

What is the current behavior?

A bundle generated by Webpack cannot be used as a module.

What is the expected behavior?

We should have the ability to make bundled modules.

For example:

// libA.js
export let a = "Hello"

// libB.js
export let b = "World"

// entry.js
import {a} from "./libA"
import {b} from "./libB"

export let message = `${a}, ${b}!`

Then the webpack bundling would generate a single file:

// bundle.js
/*
 * Here all the usual Webpack stuff,
 * then:
 */
export {message}

The modules libA and libB are not accessible from outside the bundle. But I suggest that all exported members of entry (the entry point defined in webpack.config.js) could be exported by the bundle.

Use cases

Native support for ES6 modules is coming in browsers. We should be able to use Webpack bundles as native modules.

Even now. I currently generates my bundled libraries without Webpack by concatenating files and append exports because I didn't find how to export something from a bundle.

[timse]

how should those bundles be consumed if the browser does not have native support for es6? :)

[paleo]

By Webpack or SystemJS.

Notice: An exportFormat option could be provided, with values in: 'ES6' | 'AMD' | 'CommonJS' | 'UMD'.

[gbakernet]

@paleo There is libraryTarget config option that does what you are suggesting a exportFormat could do. amd, commonjs and umd are supported.

I see there is some discussion around supporting es2015 modules (formerly es6). #2933.

[paleo]

@gbakernet Thank you. :)