python - library of react components in webpack bundle export to use in on runtime rendering

Question

I am upgrading a legacy web2py (python) application to use react components. I am using webpack to transpile the jsx files to minified js bundle. I want to be able to use:

ReactDOM.render(
  <ComponentA arg1="hello" arg2="world" />,
  document.getElementById('react-container')
);

Where ComponentA is included in the bundle and the bundle is included on the web2py view. The issue is that I can't access ComponentA in the view. The following example will work:

<script>
var ComponentA = React.createClass({
     render: function() {
      var p = React.createElement('p', null, 'Passed these props: ',this.props.arg1, ' and ', this.props.arg2);
      var div = React.createElement('div', { className: 'my-test' }, p);
      return div;
  }
});

var component = React.createElement(ComponentA, {arg1:"hello", arg2:"world"})
ReactDOM.render(
  component,//I would rather use <ComponentA arg1="hello" arg2="world" />,
  document.getElementById('react-sample')
);

</script>

I looked at exports-loader and webpack-add-module-exports but I have not yet gotten it to work. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I solved it after I came across this StackOverflow answer

First make sure that your main.jsx file (which would import all the components) also exports them:

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
import ComponentA from './components/A';
import ComponentB from './components/B';
import style from '../stylesheets/main.scss';

// This is how every tutorial shows you how to get started.
// However we want to use it "on-demand"
/* ReactDOM.render(
  <ComponentA arg1="hello" arg2="world" />,
  document.getElementById('react-container')
);*/

// ... other stuff here

// Do NOT forget to export the desired components!
export {
  ComponentA,
  ComponentB
};

Then make sure you use output.library ("more" info in the docs) in the webpack.config.js file:

module.exports = {
    entry: {
        // 'vendor': ['bootstrap', 'analytics.js'],
        'main': './src/scripts/main.jsx'
    },
    output: {
        filename: './dist/scripts/[name].js',
        library: ['App', 'components'] 
// This will expose Window.App.components which will 
// include your exported components e.g. ComponentA and ComponentB
    }
// other stuff in the config
};

Then in the web2py view (make sure you include the build files e.g. main.js AND the appropriate containers):

<!-- Make sure you include the build files e.g. main.js -->
<!-- Some other view stuff -->
<div id="react-component-a"></div>
<div id="react-component-b"></div>
<script>
// Below is how it would be used. 
// The web2py view would output a div with the proper id 
// and then output a script tag with the render block.
ReactDOM.render(
  React.createElement(App.components.ComponentA, {arg1:"hello", arg2:"world"}),
  document.getElementById('react-component-a')
);
    
ReactDOM.render(
  React.createElement(App.components.ComponentB, {arg1:"hello", arg2:"world"}),
  document.getElementById('react-component-b')
);
</script>

NOTE: I decided to use the vanilla react in the view instead of the JSX so no additional transpiling has to be done in the browser.