README.md

component-directive-ng16 code demo

• Description
• How to run
• MFE1 app
  • Exposed webpack module
  • Dev platform
• Shell app
  • How the remote is loaded into the shell
• Webpack Module Federation
• Learn more

Description

This example shows how to setup Webpack Module Federation where the shell dynamically instantiates an Angular component and adds it to the DOM by using an Angular directive. It also shows how to pass inputs and outputs to the Angular component.

The remote webpack module contains an Angular component.

The shell app is rendered in a red colored background and the remotely loaded mfe1 app is rendered in a blue colored background.

How to run

1. Go to /code-demos/component-directive-ng16/shell-ng16 folder and run npm i, followed by npm start. This will start the shell app on http://localhost:4200.
2. Go to /code-demos/component-directive-ng16/mfe1-ng16 folder and run npm i, followed by npm start. This will start the mfe1 app on http://localhost:4201.

The Angular directive will load the Angular component from the mfe1 app on page load.

MFE1 app

The mfe1 app is an Angular 16 app that contains an Angular feature module named MyFeatureModule, where the MyComponent Angular component is declared. This component represents the micro frontend that we want to expose via Webpack Module Federation.

The MyFeatureModule Angular module contains a route that loads the MyComponent Angular component on /my-component. You can use the Go to my-component link on the mfe1 app to load the MyComponent Angular component.

The mfe1 app will set the input of the MyComponent to test input value from dev platform and subscribe to the output of the component which logs to the console when the Send message button is clicked.

Exposed webpack module

On the webpack configuration file for mfe1 app you will find the declaration of the webpack modules to expose:

exposes: {
    "./my-component": "./src/app/my-feature/my-component/my-component.component.ts",
},

The above defines a webpack module that is named my-component and that is mapped to the ./src/app/my-feature/my-component/my-component.component.ts file, which is where the MyComponent Angular component is defined.

Dev platform

When you run the mfe1 app you will see the text MFE1 dev platform. This is to call out the fact that the mfe1 app is not exposed in its entirety via Webpack Module Federation, only the MyComponent Angular component is. Everything else in the mfe1 app is there only with the sole purpose of supporting the local development of the mfe1 app, more specifically, the development of the MyComponent Angular component.

This means that the input value test input value from dev platform set by the dev platform is not part of the exported component, neither is the subscription of the component's output that logs to the console when the Send message is clicked.

Shell app

The shell app is an Angular 16 app that dynamically instantiates an Angular component exposed by the mfe1 app on page load. When the page is loading, the LoadRemoteComponentDirective Angular directive simulates a two second load time and then dynamically instantiates the component and adds it to the DOM.

In addition to remotely loading the Angular component, the LoadRemoteComponentDirective Angular directive will also trigger an event/output when the component has been loaded into the shell. You could extend this example and also add an output for when the component fails to load for any reason. With these kind of outputs you could then add loading indicators to the shell as well as information messages if the components fail to load.

Lastly, at app.component.ts, the shell app declares the inputs and outputs to use with the remotely loaded component. Click on the Send message button from the remotely loaded component and see the message produced by that component be displayed on the shell.

Note

There are many ways to dynamically instantiate an Angular component, this example just shows one possible way. It is similar to the loadV4 method at /code-demos/component-ng16/shell-ng16/src/app/app.component.ts from the component-ng16 example, as well as the approach shown in the component-standalone-ng16.

The Angular directive from example also works for loading remotely exposed Angular standalone components.

How the remote is loaded into the shell

The shell app loads the Angular component exposed by the mfe1 app using an Angular directive that dynamically instantiates and adds the component to the DOM.

The LoadRemoteComponentDirective:

1. loads the remote webpack module from the mfe1 app using the loadRemoteModule function from the @angular-architects/module-federation npm package.
2. creates an instance of the component and attach it to the DOM using the ViewContainerRef.createComponent method.
3. uses the ComponentRef.setInput method to set the inputs of the component.
4. uses the ComponentRef.instance object to subscribe to the outputs of the component.

Webpack Module Federation

The setup of Webpack Module Federation was done using the @angular-architects/module-federation npm package, which aims to streamline the setup of Webpack Module Federation for Angular apps. For more info see Basics of @angular-architects/module-federation npm package.

Also, read the official docs at:

• the readme page for the @angular-architects/module-federation npm package
• the tutorial for the @angular-architects/module-federation plugin

Learn more

For more information see:

• Dynamic component loading
• Angular Directive to load a federated remote module: the directive in this code demo was based on the idea from this article.
• Module Federation with Angular’s Standalone Components: specifically the section named Bonus: Programmatic Loading which also shows code for how to load a component. The code from this article is similar to the code implemented by the directive in this code demo.