compiler watchOptions are ignored in compiler.watch

[pksjce]

From @DarkPark on January 29, 2016 9:12

I have a compiler with watch options:

var compiler = webpack({
    ...
    watchOptions: { ... }
    ...
});

then I start watching:

compiler.watch(watchOptions, function ( error, stats ) {
    // why I should put watchOptions here again?
    // they are already set for compiler as described in documentation
});

it would be nice to be able to just start watching as it has all the necessary info:

compiler.watch(function ( error, stats ) {
    ...
});

or even without callback as I may not need error/stats info:

compiler.watch();

Copied from original issue: webpack/webpack#1951

[pksjce]

From @sokra on January 30, 2016 8:53

You don't need the watchOptions in the configuration. You only need to provide it in the watch call.

watchOptions in configuration is only used by the CLI. Just like the devServer key which is only used by the dev server CLI.

[pksjce]

From @DarkPark on January 30, 2016 9:17

@sokra quote from documentation:
"(only used when using CLI or simple node.js API)"
and I exactly use it in simple node.js API.

From architectural point of view maybe it's reasonable to split page configuration to a couple of config files.

[pksjce]

From @sokra on January 30, 2016 10:52

yep thanks, I changed the documentation.

[pksjce]

From @DarkPark on January 30, 2016 12:23

It is still confusing.
The whole page https://webpack.github.io/docs/configuration.html is clearly about the single configuration object passed to webpack.
It's rather strange to describe some options among compiler options but forbid to use these options for compiler.

[SpaceK33z]

I think with the new docs in #204 this has been made pretty clear. At the top, it specifies how you can pass webpack-dev-server or webpack-dev-middleware options. watchOptions is also correctly documented there.