Video: The Anatomy of Webpack: A Deep Dive Into Its Architecture

A Webpack configuration file specifies how Webpack should behave when it runs. It includes options such as entry points, output directory, plugins, loaders, and optimizations.

The compilation object, created by the compiler, is known as the dependency graph. It is where Webpack starts building the graph, seals it, and renders it into bundles. The compilation object manages the entire build process.

The resolver in Webpack checks if the required paths in the codebase exist. It handles resolving paths for import and require statements and ensures that the appropriate loaders are applied for non-JavaScript files.

The compiler is the top-level central dispatch for Webpack. It starts and stops Webpack processes and is accessed through the Node API. The compiler creates a compilation, which kicks off the process of building the dependency graph and generating the final bundle.

Loaders in Webpack are used to transform code into different modules. For example, loaders can be used to parse non-JavaScript files like CSS or PNG files.

Plugins in Webpack enhance the functionality of Webpack by allowing users to tap into various hooks. More than 80% of Webpack's codebase is built on its own plugin architecture, which is facilitated by the Tappable library.

Tappable is a library that creates hooks for plugins in Webpack. It is the backbone of the Webpack plugin system and allows users to get notified of important events and run custom code when those events occur.

Hooks in Webpack allow users to get notified of important events and run custom code. You can create hooks using Tappable and tap into them using the tap method. Hooks are used extensively in Webpack's plugin system.

Webpack is a module bundler that allows you to write modules that work in the browser. It takes code that is easy for developers to write and converts it into a format that is optimized for browsers to read.

You can use Webpack via configuration by defining a configuration object with entry and output points. It can also be used through its command line interface (CLI) by passing the entry file and output file name. Additionally, Webpack can be used with Webpack server to spin up a local development server or directly via the Node API.