Include node_modules when externals are populated via plugins (for eg., esbuild-node-externals)

[vamche]

Kudos to the team which is behind this plugin and the packaging speeds it comes with! 🙇

I have a question (feature-request?) for you. When the below code is packaged, the final deployment does not include the externals (node modules). I think it is because the externals are populated by a plugin in this case esbuild-node-externals.

https://github.com/vamche/sls-esbuild-node-externals/blob/4cc8843ed9c486727d3c3e89dabc1904ae7521ef/plugins.js#L3-L6

const { nodeExternalsPlugin } = require('esbuild-node-externals');


// default export should be an array of plugins
module.exports = [nodeExternalsPlugin()];

https://github.com/vamche/sls-esbuild-node-externals/blob/4cc8843ed9c486727d3c3e89dabc1904ae7521ef/serverless.yml#L15-L17

  esbuild:
    plugins : ./plugins.js
    packager: npm

Sample repo: https://github.com/vamche/sls-esbuild-node-externals

Is there a way to include node_modules when externals are populated via plugins?

[vamche]

FYI, serverless-webpack does this with includeModules config and webpack-node-externals plugin.

I am happy to help/contribute to code if this feature can be introduced (if not already available). I would need some direction though. :)

[floydspace]

Hi @vamche , thank you for the issue and the example. I cloned your repo and indeed the esbuild-node-externals plugin is excluding your dependencies from the bundle, but serverless-esbuild assumes that they are bundled.

I think it makes sense to implement a special case with the plugin, so if it is used we just get the list of modules determined by the plugin and put them to external to have packed.

If you really like to contribute, here is the direction: the plugin has exported function findDependencies you can reuse it to build a list of dependencies to be packed, and then the list must be used in our packExternalModules function which does the job. Should be an easy fix. Thank you 🙏

[vamche]

Thank you @floydspace, I will give it a shot.