Micro Frontends: A Modern Approach to Web Application Architecture

Micro Frontends is an architectural style that breaks down a large web application into smaller, independent front-end applications. Each micro frontend is responsible for a specific feature or business domain, and they are composed together to form a cohesive user experience.

Why Micro Frontends?

• Scalability: Independent teams can develop and deploy features without affecting the entire application.

• Flexibility: Different technologies and frameworks can be used for different micro frontends.

• Resilience: A failure in one micro frontend doesn't necessarily impact the entire application.

• Faster Development: Smaller, focused teams can iterate and deploy features more quickly.

Key Components of a Micro Frontend Architecture

1. Micro Frontends:

   • Independent front-end applications, each with its own tech stack (React, Angular, Vue, etc.)

   • Self-contained with their own routing, state management, and build processes

2. Shell:

   • A container that hosts the micro frontends

   • Responsible for overall layout, navigation, and global state management

   • Can be a simple HTML file or a more complex framework-based application

3. Integration Layer:

   • Handles communication and coordination between micro frontends

   • Can be implemented using various techniques like:

     • Module Federation: A Webpack plugin that allows dynamic loading of remote modules.

     • IFrames: Simple but can have limitations in terms of communication and user experience.

     • Server-Side Composition: The server assembles the final HTML page by combining the output of different micro frontends.

System Design Steps for a Micro Frontend Architecture

1. Identify Micro Frontends:

   • Break down the application into distinct features or business domains.

   • Consider factors like team ownership, technology preferences, and future scalability.

2. Design the Shell:

   • Define the overall layout and navigation structure.

   • Implement mechanisms for routing and state management.

   • Consider using a framework like React or Vue to build the shell.

3. Choose an Integration Layer:

   • Evaluate the pros and cons of different integration techniques based on your specific requirements.

   • Consider factors like performance, security, and ease of development.

4. Develop Micro Frontends:

   • Each micro frontend should be a standalone application with its own build process and deployment pipeline.

   • Use a suitable framework like React or Vue to build the micro frontend.

   • Implement communication mechanisms with the shell and other micro frontends.

5. Test and Deploy:

   • Thoroughly test each micro frontend individually and in combination with the shell.

   • Establish a deployment pipeline for each micro frontend.

   • Consider using a CI/CD pipeline to automate the build, test, and deployment processes.

Implementing Micro Frontends with React and TypeScript

Module Federation:

1. Configure Webpack: Set up Webpack's Module Federation plugin to define the host and remote modules.

2. Create Remote Modules: Build each micro frontend as a separate library that can be dynamically loaded by the host.

3. Load Remote Modules: Use the import() function to load remote modules at runtime.

Example how to load remote Application in your Host Application

// Host application
import { loadRemoteModule } from 'webpack-module-federation';

const remoteModule = await loadRemoteModule({
  remoteEntry: 'http://localhost:8081/remoteEntry.js',
  module: './RemoteComponent',
});

const RemoteComponent = remoteModule.default;

// ... Use the RemoteComponent in your host application

Got any questions? Feel free to reach out! Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of integrating and setting up your host and remote apps.

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