 
    
 
# webpack CLI
The official CLI of webpack
## About
webpack CLI provides a flexible set of commands for developers to increase speed when setting up a custom webpack project. As of webpack v4, webpack is not expecting a configuration file, but often developers want to create a more custom webpack configuration based on their use-cases and needs. webpack CLI addresses these needs by providing a set of tools to improve the setup of custom webpack configuration.
## How to install
When you have followed the [Getting Started](https://webpack.js.org/guides/getting-started/) guide of webpack then webpack CLI is already installed!
Otherwise
```bash
npm install --save-dev webpack-cli
```
or
```bash
yarn add webpack-cli --dev
```
## Supported arguments and commands
### Usage
All interactions with webpack-cli are of the form
```bash
npx webpack-cli [command] [options]
```
If no command is specified then `bundle` command is used by default
### Help Usage
To display basic commands and arguments -
```bash
npx webpack-cli --help
```
To display all supported commands and arguments -
```bash
npx webpack-cli --help=verbose
```
or
```bash
npx webpack-cli --help verbose
```
### Available Commands
```
  build|bundle|b [entries...] [options]                 Run webpack (default command, can be omitted).
  configtest|t [config-path]                            Validate a webpack configuration.
  help|h [command] [option]                             Display help for commands and options.
  info|i [options]                                      Outputs information about your system.
  init|create|new|c|n [generation-path] [options]       Initialize a new webpack project.
  loader|l [output-path] [options]                      Scaffold a loader.
  plugin|p [output-path] [options]                      Scaffold a plugin.
  serve|server|s [entries...] [options]                 Run the webpack dev server.
  version|v [commands...]                               Output the version number of 'webpack', 'webpack-cli' and 'webpack-dev-server' and commands.
  watch|w [entries...] [options]                        Run webpack and watch for files changes.
```
### Available Options
```
Options:
  -c, --config                           Provide path to a webpack configuration file e.g. ./webpack.config.js.
  --config-name                          Name of the configuration to use.
  -m, --merge                                      Merge two or more configurations using 'webpack-merge'.
  --disable-interpret                              Disable interpret for loading the config file.
  --env                                  Environment passed to the configuration when it is a function.
  --node-env                                Sets process.env.NODE_ENV to the specified value.
  --define-process-env-node-env             Sets process.env.NODE_ENV to the specified value. (Currently an alias for `--node-env`)
  --analyze                                        It invokes webpack-bundle-analyzer plugin to get bundle information.
  --progress [value]                               Print compilation progress during build.
  -j, --json [value]                               Prints result as JSON or store it in a file.
  --fail-on-warnings                               Stop webpack-cli process with non-zero exit code on warnings from webpack
  -d, --devtool                             A developer tool to enhance debugging (false | eval | [inline-|hidden-|eval-][nosources-][cheap-[module-]]source-map).
  --no-devtool                                     Negative 'devtool' option.
  --entry                                A module that is loaded upon startup. Only the last one is exported.
  --mode                                    Enable production optimizations or development hints.
  --name                                    Name of the configuration. Used when loading multiple configurations.
  -o, --output-path                         The output directory as **absolute path** (required).
  --stats [value]                                  Stats options object or preset name.
  --no-stats                                       Negative 'stats' option.
  -t, --target                           Environment to build for. Environment to build for. An array of environments to build for all of them when possible.
  --no-target                                      Negative 'target' option.
  -w, --watch                                      Enter watch mode, which rebuilds on file change.
  --no-watch                                       Negative 'watch' option.
  --watch-options-stdin                            Stop watching when stdin stream has ended.
  --no-watch-options-stdin                         Negative 'watch-options-stdin' option.
Global options:
  --color                                          Enable colors on console.
  --no-color                                       Disable colors on console.
  -v, --version                                    Output the version number of 'webpack', 'webpack-cli' and 'webpack-dev-server' and commands.
  -h, --help [verbose]                             Display help for commands and options.
```
Checkout [`OPTIONS.md`](https://github.com/webpack/webpack-cli/blob/master/OPTIONS.md) to see list of all available options.
## Exit codes and their meanings
| Exit Code | Description                                        |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `0`       | Success                                            |
| `1`       | Errors from webpack                                |
| `2`       | Configuration/options problem or an internal error |
## CLI Environment Variables
| Environment Variable                | Description                                                         |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `WEBPACK_CLI_SKIP_IMPORT_LOCAL`     | when `true` it will skip using the local instance of `webpack-cli`. |
| `WEBPACK_CLI_FORCE_LOAD_ESM_CONFIG` | when `true` it will force load the ESM config.                      |
| `WEBPACK_PACKAGE`                   | Use a custom webpack version in CLI.                                |
| `WEBPACK_DEV_SERVER_PACKAGE`        | Use a custom webpack-dev-server version in CLI.                     |
| `WEBPACK_CLI_HELP_WIDTH`            | Use custom width for help output.                                   |
## Configuration Environment Variables
You can use the following environment variables inside your webpack configuration:
| Environment Variable | Description                                  |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `WEBPACK_SERVE`      | `true` if `serve\|s` is being used.          |
| `WEBPACK_BUILD`      | `true` if `build\|bundle\|b` is being used.  |
| `WEBPACK_WATCH`      | `true` if `--watch\|watch\|w` is being used. |
Checkout [webpack.js.org](https://webpack.js.org/api/cli/) for more detailed documentation of `webpack-cli`.