1.5.1 build-optimizer "TypeError: candidate.value.definition is not a function"

Versions

Angular CLI: 1.5.1
Node: 6.11.4
OS: win32 x64
Angular: 5.0.0
... animations, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms
... language-service, platform-browser, platform-browser-dynamic
... router, service-worker

@angular/cdk: 5.0.0-rc0
@angular/cli: 1.5.1
@angular-devkit/build-optimizer: 0.0.33
@angular-devkit/core: 0.0.20
@angular-devkit/schematics: 0.0.36
@ngtools/json-schema: 1.1.0
@ngtools/webpack: 1.8.1
@schematics/angular: 0.1.5
typescript: 2.4.2
webpack: 3.8.1

Repro steps

• run ng build --prod
• don’t know what this could be related to, since my project is quite large

Observed behavior

ERROR in main.c625bf1271eaaf6ccac7.bundle.js from UglifyJs
TypeError: candidate.value.definition is not a function
    at collapse (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:8275:61)
    at tighten_body (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:8110:17)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:12402:9)
    at AST_Node.eval [as optimize] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:7481:23)
    at Object.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:7464:24)
    at AST_Node.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4688:43)
    at Object.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:7459:9)
    at AST_Node.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4679:43)
    at Object.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:7459:9)
    at AST_Node.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4590:31)
    at Object.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:7459:9)
    at AST_Node.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\github\web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:1:0), <anonymous>:4578:25)

It worked with 1.5.0 with --build-optimizer and works with 1.5.1 when specifying --build-optimizer=false.

[filipesilva]

@kzc awesome, thank you!

For users affected by this problem, here is how you can force your dependencies to use the uglify-es@3.2.0.

You can’t just add it as a dependency with a new version since the uglify-es is not a direct dependency.

To see what version you have, run npm list uglify-es:

$ npm list uglify-es
master-project@0.0.0 D:\sandbox\master-project
`-- @angular/cli@1.5.3
  `-- uglifyjs-webpack-plugin@1.0.0
    `-- uglify-es@3.1.5

To force an indirect dependency to use a new version, you’ll have to update your cache and remove the any package-locks you have. This series of commands should do it:

// Force update your cache
npm install uglify-es@3.2.0
npm uninstall uglify-es@3.2.0
// Remove node modules and package locks
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json yarn.lock
// Reinstall dependencies
npm install

After all of this, you should be able to see the new version:

$ npm list uglify-es
master-project@0.0.0 D:\sandbox\master-project
`-- @angular/cli@1.5.3
  `-- uglifyjs-webpack-plugin@1.0.0
    `-- uglify-es@3.2.0

I realize this process is cumbersome. NPM does not offer a good way to force update indirect dependencies.

I’ve submitted a PR to update our direct dependency (uglifyjs-webpack-plugin): https://github.com/webpack-contrib/uglifyjs-webpack-plugin/pull/176.

Then Angular CLI can update to that version and everyone gets the new version of uglify-es by default.

[kzc]

The bug is present in both branches - latest uglify-es@3 and uglify-js@3.

You might try using an older version of uglify-es in your npm or yarn lock file.