WaveMaker App as Micro Frontend Module

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WaveMaker is a low-code platform enabling users to develop high-quality apps swiftly. Micro Frontends is a design practice that enables the users to scale their development and produce composable independent modules that can serve in building a new app or progressively integrate features into an existing app.

To support our customers' phased modernization methods, we wanted to build support for this cutting-edge design pattern in the microservices world.

WaveMaker is the only low code platform to support Micro Frontend modules extending low-code benefits to Micro Frontend development. It adopts the runtime integration approach for Micro Frontends and works with the Single-spa framework.

Single-spa is a JavaScript framework for frontend microservices, with support for multiple framework modules. Compatible artifacts must be generated and integrated for any app to work with Single-spa.

note

Read our developer's blog about how Micro Frontend modules work and how it fits in your low-code development approach.

WaveMaker Single SPA Framework

WaveMaker has developed a node-based CLI to generate Single-spa compatible artifacts for a WaveMaker app.

The CLI requires the exported project location, deployed URL as its input. The CLI and details are available in the below link.

note

@wavemaker/wm-sspa-cli

Generate Single-spa Artifact

Follow the steps below to generate the Single-spa artifacts for a WaveMaker application.

1. Ensure the node >v10.15 is installed on the machine.
2. Login to WaveMaker, Deploy the project, and note the deployed URL
3. Export the project from WaveMaker as a Zip, extract it into a folder, and note the location.

Invoke CLI

1. Open the terminal and invoke CLI from the below command

   npx @wavemaker/wm-sspa-cli

• npx downloads the CLI and prompts for the location of the WaveMaker project and deployed URL.
• The usage of npx ensures the execution of the latest version of CLI.
• You can also provide the above info as parameters.

 npx @wavemaker/wm-sspa-cli -p <project_path> -d <deployed-url>

• The CLI validates both the inputs before triggering the process.
• Once the valid params are provided, the CLI generates Single-spa compatible artifacts and presents users with its location.

Generated Artifacts

The artifacts generated include:

• main.[hash].js : the application code and need to be used for app registration.
• scripts.[hash].js: the global scripts modules required for the WaveMaker app.

note

Single-spa needs the deployed location of all the artifacts, so ensure the files are hosted.

1. Once the artifacts are generated, you can use the artifacts to register it as an application in the Single-spa shell.
2. Validate the changes using the Single-spa shell project.

Configure Script

1. Once the project is downloaded, open the index.html in the folder [folder-location]/root-html-file
2. Include the script below in the head section of the index.html.

<!-- 
 Example: 
 [APP_DEPLOYED_URL]: http://localhost:8080/TestProject 
 [ARTIFACTS_DEPLOYED_URL]: http://localhost:8081/
-->
 <script src="[APP_DEPLOYED_URL]/services/application/wmProperties.js"></script>
 <script src="[ARTIFACTS_DEPLOYED_URL]/scripts.[HASH].js"></script>

3. Update one of the app target URLs in import maps as highlighted below in index.html.

 <script type="systemjs-importmap">
 { "imports": {
 "app1": "http://localhost:4201/main.js",
 "app2": "[ARTIFACTS_DEPLOYED_URL]/main.[HASH].js",
 "navbar": "http://localhost:4300/main.js",
 "single-spa":"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/single-spa/4.3.5/system/single-spa.min.js"
 }
 }
 </script>

4. Add a .wm-app class to the parent element of the route in index.html.

 <template id="single-spa-layout">
      <single-spa-router>
         ---
          <div class="wm-app">
            <route path="app2" >
              <application name="app2"></application>
            </route>
          </div>
         
        ---
      </single-spa-router>
    </template>

Once the changes are done in index.html, follow the instructions in the README.md of the Single-spa shell project link to start.