CLI Guide

Deploy Webpack with Bantam CLI

The most powerful and flexible module bundler

Install Bantam CLI:

npm install -g @bantamhq/cli

View on NPM: @bantamhq/cli

Quick start:

# Build your Webpack app
webpack --mode production

# Deploy it
bantam deploy dist

Quick Start

Install dependencies

Install project dependencies

npm install

Build with Webpack

Bundle your application

webpack --mode production

Creates optimized bundles in the dist directory

Deploy with Bantam

Your Webpack app is now live!

bantam deploy dist

Get an instant URL like https://my-app-abc123.bantam.site

Framework Details

Basic Configuration

Configure Webpack for production builds:

webpack.config.js:

const path = require('path');
const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
const MiniCssExtractPlugin = require('mini-css-extract-plugin');

module.exports = {
  mode: 'production',
  entry: './src/index.js',
  output: {
    path: path.resolve(__dirname, 'dist'),
    filename: '[name].[contenthash].js',
    clean: true
  },
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /.jsx?$/,
        exclude: /node_modules/,
        use: 'babel-loader'
      },
      {
        test: /.css$/,
        use: [MiniCssExtractPlugin.loader, 'css-loader']
      },
      {
        test: /.(png|svg|jpg|jpeg|gif)$/i,
        type: 'asset/resource'
      }
    ]
  },
  plugins: [
    new HtmlWebpackPlugin({
      template: './src/index.html'
    }),
    new MiniCssExtractPlugin({
      filename: '[name].[contenthash].css'
    })
  ]
};

Use contenthash in filenames for optimal caching.

Optimization

Optimize your bundles for production:

Production optimizations:

module.exports = {
  optimization: {
    splitChunks: {
      chunks: 'all',
      cacheGroups: {
        vendor: {
          test: /[\/]node_modules[\/]/,
          name: 'vendors',
          priority: 10
        },
        common: {
          minChunks: 2,
          priority: 5,
          reuseExistingChunk: true
        }
      }
    },
    runtimeChunk: 'single',
    minimize: true,
    minimizer: [
      new TerserPlugin({
        terserOptions: {
          compress: {
            drop_console: true,
          },
        },
      }),
      new CssMinimizerPlugin()
    ]
  }
};

Code splitting improves initial load time but requires proper chunk loading.

Build Output

Webpack generates optimized bundles in dist:

index.html - Generated with injected assets
main.[hash].js - Main application bundle
vendors.[hash].js - Third-party libraries
runtime.[hash].js - Webpack runtime
[name].[hash].css - Extracted CSS
Asset files with hashed names

Webpack 5 includes persistent caching for faster rebuilds.

Advanced Usage

Custom Domain

Deploy directly to your own domain

bantam deploy ./dist --domain myapp.com

Permanent Deployment

Keep your site online forever (requires login)

bantam deploy ./dist --permanent

Custom Expiry

Set how long your deployment stays online

bantam deploy ./dist --expiry-days 7

Custom Subdomain

Choose your own subdomain on bantam.site

bantam deploy ./dist --subdomain my-project

CI/CD Integration

Add Bantam to your continuous deployment pipeline:

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Deploy to Bantam
  run: |
    npm install -g @bantamhq/cli
    bantam login --token ${{ secrets.BANTAM_TOKEN }}
    bantam deploy ./dist --domain myapp.com --permanent

Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Quick fixes for deployment challenges

01.Module not found errors?

Configure module resolution:

module.exports = {
  resolve: {
    extensions: ['.js', '.jsx', '.ts', '.tsx', '.json'],
    alias: {
      '@': path.resolve(__dirname, 'src'),
      'components': path.resolve(__dirname, 'src/components')
    }
  }
};

02.Assets not loading in production?

Set public path correctly:

module.exports = {
  output: {
    publicPath: '/',
    // Or for CDN
    publicPath: 'https://cdn.example.com/'
  }
};

// Or set dynamically
__webpack_public_path__ = window.location.origin + '/';

03.Environment variables not working?

Use DefinePlugin or dotenv-webpack:

const webpack = require('webpack');
const Dotenv = require('dotenv-webpack');

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    // Option 1: DefinePlugin
    new webpack.DefinePlugin({
      'process.env.API_URL': JSON.stringify(process.env.API_URL)
    }),
    
    // Option 2: dotenv-webpack
    new Dotenv({
      systemvars: true
    })
  ]
};

04.Bundle size too large?

Analyze and optimize your bundle:

# Install bundle analyzer
npm install -D webpack-bundle-analyzer

// webpack.config.js
const BundleAnalyzerPlugin = require('webpack-bundle-analyzer').BundleAnalyzerPlugin;

module.exports = {
  plugins: [
    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin()
  ]
};

# Build and analyze
webpack --mode production

05.Dev server config for local development?

Configure webpack-dev-server:

module.exports = {
  devServer: {
    static: './dist',
    hot: true,
    open: true,
    historyApiFallback: true,
    proxy: {
      '/api': {
        target: 'http://localhost:3000',
        changeOrigin: true
      }
    }
  }
};