Micro frontends have reshaped how we build and manage modern web applications. By breaking down monolithic frontends into smaller, independently developed and delivered units, teams can collaborate more effectively, adopt diverse technologies, and scale development processes.
While runtime micro frontends often steal the spotlight with their promise of dynamic loading and independence, build-time micro frontends deserve a closer look. They offer significant advantages in performance, consistency, and modularity—qualities that can make or break complex applications.
Two trending tools, Bit and Ripple CI encourage us to rethink build-time micro frontend integration. These tools challenge traditional assumptions about monorepos and polyrepos by showcasing how build-time integration can achieve significant performance, consistency, and modularity improvements.
By enabling component-driven development using independent Bit components, with advanced dependency management, Bit and Ripple CI offer fresh perspectives on how teams can collaborate and maintain distributed frontend systems effectively.
What Are Build-Time Micro Frontends?
Build-time micro frontends involve assembling different parts of the application during the build process, rather than dynamically at runtime. Components are developed independently, versioned, and combined into a unified application during deployment. Tools like Bit facilitate this approach by enabling teams to create modular, reusable components that can be easily integrated.
The Difference Between Node Packages and Micro Frontends
A common question arises: Could every JavaScript project be considered a build-time micro frontend, given the widespread use of packages?
This question has become even more nuanced with the advent of Bit components, which blur the lines further. While Bit components can be installed as standard Node packages, they offer much more. Each Bit component can be versioned, maintained, and delivered as an independent project, eliminating the need for a dedicated repository. Versioning is handled independently, and development doesn’t require a unique environment or build pipeline—Bit provides a reusable, pre-configured setup that works seamlessly wherever the component is edited.
The simple answer is no—JavaScript packages (including Bit components) and micro frontends serve distinct purposes despite their shared foundation in modularity. Here’s how they differ:
Node Packages: These are libraries or modules designed to provide reusable functionality at build-time. They add features or dependencies to an application but are not standalone entities with their own lifecycle or ownership. Packages exist to enhance or complement an application rather than to function as autonomous components.
Micro Frontends (MFEs): These are self-contained pieces of an application’s user interface. They are designed to operate independently and often include their own lifecycle, ownership, and deployment pipelines. Whether integrated at build-time or runtime, a micro frontend should be deployable as an independent application with minimal modifications, making it a distinct architectural choice.
In essence, while both Node packages and micro frontends emphasize modularity, their scope and goals are fundamentally different. Node packages focus on reusability within the development process, whereas micro frontends prioritize autonomy and scalability in the application’s user interface.
Build-time MFEs: An Example
The "Forever Mars" app invites users to register to a one-way trip to Mars.
The "Forever Mars" app composed of build-time MFEs
The app is composed of Bit components, from the most elementary UI components and utility functions, to full MFEs, ready to be integrated into a single application. The components are shared in access-controlled collections on Bit Platform, called "scopes". Some of these scopes, like the booking scope, contain an MFE (the booking app) while others, such as the design scope, contain only shared dependencies (the design system for this app).
Elementary components and MFEs shared in access-controlled scopes on Bit Platform: https://bit.cloud/cosmo-cruises
While Bit components don't require a repository to be edited and published, developers often prefer to maintain them using git repositories and the collaboration tools they're used to.
Bit Platform allows modules to be shared and used across repositories while Ripple CI enables changes to propagate from one component, maintained in one repo, to other dependent components maintained in other repositories (or, even no repository at all).
Why Choose Build-Time Integration?
1. Optimized Performance
Performance is a cornerstone of any successful web application. Build-time micro frontends excel in this area by eliminating the runtime overhead associated with loading multiple modules dynamically. Since all integration happens during the build process, users experience faster load times and smoother interactions.
For instance, instead of relying on runtime dependencies that can slow down initial rendering, build-time integration ensures that shared dependencies are pre-bundled and optimized. This results in smaller payloads and reduced latency, especially for applications with high traffic or strict performance requirements.
This does not mean that the entire app should always be bundled as a single chunk. Dynamic loading of dependencies can be the more performant options when used in the right places. Code-splitting is often a smart strategy, however, it's worth noting that even then the result would be more optimized chunks, with less chance for runtime errors.
2. Enhanced Consistency
One of the biggest challenges in micro frontend architectures is maintaining consistency across different parts of the application. Runtime micro frontends often lead to version mismatches or styling inconsistencies because teams work independently and deploy updates at different times.
Build-time micro frontends address this by enforcing consistent dependencies and styles during the build phase. Tools like Bit enable centralized management of shared components, ensuring that all parts of the application adhere to the same design system and functionality standards. The result? A cohesive user experience that feels seamless, even if different teams own various parts of the app.
3. Simplified Debugging and Maintenance
Debugging a runtime-integrated application can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. With multiple micro frontends interacting dynamically, tracing issues back to their source becomes a complex task.
Build-time micro frontends simplify this process. Since components are assembled and tested during the build, issues can be identified and resolved early. Tools like Ripple CI further streamline this workflow by targeting affected components for faster builds and catching dependency conflicts before they reach production.
4. Scalability Through Modularity
As applications grow, so does the complexity of managing them. Build-time micro frontends thrive in large-scale projects by promoting modularity. Each component can be versioned and updated independently, reducing the risk of breaking changes.
Moreover, with platforms like Bit, teams can develop components in a polyrepo setup or even without a traditional repository. This flexibility allows for efficient scaling without being tied to rigid development structures.
5. Centralized State and Communication
Managing global state, routing, and shared services is more straightforward with build-time micro frontends. By centralizing these concerns during the build phase, developers can ensure that all parts of the application use the same state management and communication patterns.
For example, shared contexts for authentication or theming can be wrapped around individual components during the build process. This ensures that every part of the application operates consistently, avoiding runtime discrepancies.
Misconceptions About Build-Time Micro Frontends
There’s a common misconception that build-time micro frontends require a monorepo setup. While monorepos are an option, they’re not mandatory. Tools like Bit make it possible to maintain build-time micro frontends in a polyrepo setup or even independently of a repository. This flexibility allows teams to choose the structure that best fits their workflow.
Another myth is that build-time micro frontends are less dynamic than their runtime counterparts. While runtime solutions excel in dynamic updates, build-time approaches can achieve similar agility with tools like Ripple CI, which automates dependency updates and ensures seamless integration across components.
Conclusion
While runtime micro frontends often garner more attention, build-time micro frontends present a compelling case for scalable, high-performance applications. Their ability to optimize performance, ensure consistency, and simplify maintenance makes them an excellent choice for many teams.
By leveraging tools like Bit and [Ripple CI], developers can unlock the full potential of build-time micro frontends, creating applications that are not only modular and maintainable but also efficient and cohesive. It’s time to give build-time integration the spotlight it deserves and embrace a future where distributed frontends are both powerful and user-friendly.
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