CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptnode.jswebpackelectronelectron-builder
echopeak
echopeak

Reputation: 261

Getting child_process.fork() to work in electron when compiled and minified

So basically I am building an electron app. I have reached an interesting problem I have been trying to figure out for a few hours now. There is part of the app that needs to be a forked process(child_process.fork()) which is relative to the source directory.

Like this:

- app
  - main-process
    - core
      - manager
       - index.js 
       - fork.js
       - some-module.js
  - main.js

webpack compiles the source code into one file/bundle(the main.js file), along with electron-builder compiling in app.asar.

The issue I'm having is how to use child_process.fork() in a relative directory that is requiring modules from the forked process when the app is compiled & minified. Those modules required, when compiled are now in the main.js file minfied thus the refence is lost in the fork.js making "some-module" not be found.

// app/main-process/core/manager/index.js
const child_process = require('child_process');


let child = child_process.fork('./fork.js');
child.send('start');



// app/main-process/core/manager/fork.js
const someModule = require('./some-module');
someModule(()=>{
  ...
})

When compiled, webpack automatically resolves these require paths into references in the bundle but since child_process.fork() requires a file, it would make sense that this would not work.

The webpack config is fairly straitforwards config. Its not a complex app yet. This is a multi-webpack config but im just showing the main process config.

const backend = {
  entry:path.resolve(__dirname, '../app/main.js'),
  devtool:false,
  target:'node',
  output: {
    filename: 'main-compiled.js',
    sourceMapFilename: 'main-compiled.js.map',
  },
  node:{
    fs:'empty',
    http:'empty',
    crypto:'empty',
    electorn:'empty',
    __dirname:true,
    __filename:true,
  },
  module:{
    loaders:[
      {
        test:/\.json$/,
        use:[
          {loader:'json-loader'},
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  plugins:[
    new webpack.optimize.UglifyJsPlugin({
      sourceMap:true,
      parallel: true,
      compress:{
        warnings:false,
        drop_console:true
      }
    })
  ],
  externals:[
    nodeExternals(),
  ]
};

I have already figured out that with webpack i can exclude this fork.js file from being included in the bundle and with electron-builder, keep the directory structor by using the files array in the config.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 1872

Answers (1)

echopeak
echopeak

Reputation: 261

I figured it out. I was overcomplicating the thought process. The kind of behavior can be achieved by using the cluster master/worker pattern and just using the main.js file to coordinate what logic is executed via command arguments when spawned as a "child"(fork).

Upvotes: 2

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