eslint-import-resolver-webpack

This resolver does what it promises—syncing ESLint's import resolution with your webpack config—but getting it right takes patience. The basic setup is straightforward: point it at your webpack.config.js and it should resolve aliases and custom extensions. However, when things go wrong, error messages are cryptic or silent, leaving you guessing whether the issue is your webpack config, ESLint config, or the resolver itself.

The documentation covers basic cases but falls short on complex scenarios like multi-compiler configs, dynamic webpack configurations, or when using newer webpack 5 features. I've spent hours debugging why path aliases weren't resolving, only to discover the resolver was silently failing to parse my webpack config. The GitHub issues are somewhat helpful, but response times vary and many older issues remain unresolved.

Once working, it's largely set-and-forget, which is great. But expect initial setup frustration, especially if your webpack config isn't vanilla. The package does integrate well with eslint-plugin-import when everything aligns, saving you from duplicate path configuration.

This resolver does what it promises: aligns ESLint import validation with your webpack config. In practice, it's essential if you have complex webpack alias configurations, but it comes with notable operational costs. The resolver parses your webpack config on every ESLint run, which can add 1-3 seconds to lint times on medium-sized projects. This compounds in CI/CD pipelines and watch mode.

Configuration is straightforward when your webpack config is simple, but dynamic configs or multiple configurations require careful setup. The resolver needs to evaluate your webpack config, which means it must run in the same Node environment with all webpack plugins available. This can lead to cryptic errors when dependencies are missing or when using webpack 5's new features. Error messages tend to be vague when resolution fails, making debugging frustrating.

Resource management is minimal - it doesn't pool connections or cache aggressively between runs in watch mode. You'll notice the performance impact most acutely in development. For large monorepos, consider simpler path resolution strategies or explicit ESLint path configuration instead.

This resolver is practically mandatory if you're using webpack path aliases and want eslint-plugin-import to work correctly. It bridges the gap between webpack's module resolution and ESLint's import checking, which is great in theory. The basic setup is straightforward: point it at your webpack config and it should resolve your aliases.

In practice, the experience varies wildly depending on your webpack setup complexity. Simple configs work fine, but once you have multiple webpack configs, environment-specific settings, or dynamic configuration logic, things get tricky. Error messages when something goes wrong are often cryptic or nonexistent—imports just silently fail to resolve. The documentation is sparse, providing minimal guidance on troubleshooting or advanced configurations.

Performance can also be a concern on larger projects. Since it needs to evaluate your webpack config for every import resolution, you may notice ESLint slowing down, especially if your webpack config does heavy computation. The TypeScript types exist but are minimal, offering little help with configuration options.