2025-04-24 Frontend Working Group Meeting Notes: Build optimization

 Date, time, location

• Date:Apr 24, 2025 at 15:00 UTC (timezone converter)

• Location: https://meet.google.com/wxe-myxy-uei

 Discussion topic(s)

One, maybe two topics to be presented or discussed in depth in the upcoming meeting.

• @Brian Smith Prod deps

  • Can we do something immediate-term?

    • chore: lighter prod dependencies by regisb · Pull Request #649 · openedx/frontend-build

    • fix: treat @openedx/frontend-build as an optional peerDep to avoid direct dep in consuming MFEs by adamstankiewicz · Pull Request #790 · openedx/frontend-platform

  • Can we document a decision?

    • It seems there’s still confusion as to some of the specifics as to how this should be handled. I think most people are on board with “if the user needs it in the browser it’s a dep, otherwise it’s a dev dep” - but the nuances of how that applies to build/platform dev/peer etc. deps don’t seem as clear to everyone.

      • @Brian Smith Temporary “documented decision” - the optional peerDep strategy seems like a good path forward if there aren’t any gotchas

•  

🎥Recording

• Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wPHr4FRSzt7f7eIxWHyuVoHkAzzDDl_h/view?usp=drive_link

• Chat: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eG4WwumdyIKaKgDgCz5fewWZCxzE4Efj/view?usp=drive_link

• Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BewrKq_8Be5OKn8wYIr3Y6dUfKvW8UtwJLPueLf4qsQ/view?usp=drive_link

 Participants

Adolfo Brandes, Brian Smith, Jesse Stewart-WGU, Max Frank

🤖 Summary

🛠️ Discussion on Build Dependency Optimization

Context & Problem

• Brian Smith initiated a conversation around reducing build times and bundle sizes, referencing a PR by Reis involving the reclassification of frontend build dependencies as devDependencies.

• This PR, however, could break current behavior, since Micro Frontends (MFs) rely on these dependencies at runtime.

Alternative Solution

• Brian suggested a cleaner approach involving the use of optionalDependencies and reconfiguring frontend-platform so that frontend-build can be treated as a devDependency.

• This strategy aims to:

  • Reduce unintended direct dependencies in MF bundles.

  • Enable frontend-build to be omitted during runtime unless explicitly needed.

Unresolved Issue

• The team was waiting for input from Adam to understand the results of his discovery and whether this strategy introduces any regressions or issues.

🧪 Jesse Stewart's First Contribution

PR Overview

• Jesse described a fix addressing a navigation visibility issue in locked or future-dated courses.

  • The navigation was disappearing due to a boolean value; Jesse adjusted this and added a useEffect to maintain correct navigation state.

• Uncertainty remained on whether this was a regression or intended behavior, so Jesse wisely created a proposal and sought product feedback.

Action Items

• Jesse:

  • Confirmed steps from the review checklist.

  • Engaged with the Product Core group via Slack to validate the intended behavior.

• Group:

  • Suggested quick confirmation with Product.

  • Agreed it’s a likely bug but wanted documentation of product sign-off.

🔧 Footer Slot Change and External Scripts

Max Frank’s Update

• Confirmed that the footer slot change in Learner Dashboard is approved and ready to go.

• Discussed duplicating the change in their fork to handle arbitrary JavaScript injection.

Frontend Base Considerations

• Adolfo explained that as frontend-base matures (moving toward v1.0):

  • Many one-off configurations are being removed or refactored into plugins.

  • Features like external scripts may need to be reconsidered or rebuilt.

  • Encouraged collaboration to define what's essential and modularize accordingly.

📦 Frontend Base Refactor & Module Federation

Overview

• Frontend Base is a major refactor aiming to make the frontend ecosystem more modular, maintainable, and scalable.

• Highlights include:

  • Leveraging Module Federation (MF) to allow independent module deployments.

  • Transitioning shared functionality into a plugin architecture.

  • Reducing build bloat and avoiding multiple versions of shared libraries like React.

Key Takeaways

• Jesse showed enthusiasm for module federation, sharing relevant experience.

• Team members expressed support for the modular direction and acknowledged the challenges with version management across MFs.

• Adolfo noted that though this isn’t yet a monorepo dream, it’s a strong step forward.

 Action items

• Adolfo to follow up with Adam regarding the dependency discovery.

• Jesse to await product feedback and finalize his PR based on it.

• Max & Brian to finalize footer slot handling and consider long-term improvements for injecting JavaScript.

 Decisions