Use Webpack Without Writing a Webpack Config

I doubt you got into web development because of your desire to write Webpack configs. You shouldn’t have to waste hours to create your bundles. Webpack can sometimes feel like this unagreeable middleman if you haven’t spent significant time with the documentation and hands on experience. Even if you do have considerable experience Webpack can still be disagreeable.

Webpack should be a tool that just gets out of your way. The goal is to get to the actual code you want to write quicker. For these projects there is Laravel Mix.

Although the package has Laravel in the name, you can easily use it in non Laravel contexts. The package does ship by default with Laravel Projects. Thankfully the tool isn’t bound to the ecosystem

Mix does the basic stuff you would expect. You can easily transpile (compile?) your JavaScript and CSS assets. Mix can handle your Typescript, Sass, or PostCSS. If you need to run Vue.js or React.js in your bundle – Mix also handles that without issue.

Mix might not be the best fit for your project if you have very specific Webpack needs. Mix can also start to slow down if your project gets really big.

Ultimately, Laravel Mix is an incredible tool. I believe you should use Mix until you run into a situation where you need to write your own Webpack configuration. Save some time and get back to writing the fun stuff quicker by using this package.