[BUG] Cannot generate documentation of a lazy loaded Angular app

Overview of the issue

Whenever I try to generate the documentation, I receive this error: reason: Error: Could not find the node's symbol. I saw this error has been filed several times, it should be assessed to be honest.

Operating System, Node.js, npm, compodoc version(s)

OS: MacOS Node.js: 12.13.0 npm: 6.13.7 compodoc: 1.1.11

Angular configuration, a package.json file in the root folder

{
  "name": "PRIVATE",
  "version": "PRIVATE",
  "scripts": {
    "ng": "ng",
    "start": "ng serve",
    "build": "ng build",
    "test": "ng test",
    "test_cc": "ng test --code-coverage --source-map",
    "lint": "ng lint",
    "serve": "node --max_old_space_size=8192 ./node_modules/@angular/cli/bin/ng serve --prod",
    "build_prod": "node --max_old_space_size=8192 ./node_modules/@angular/cli/bin/ng build --prod",
    "commit:init": "git config --local commit.template ./tools/.git-commit-template.txt",
    "compodoc": "npx compodoc -p ./tsconfig.json"
  },
  "private": true,
  "dependencies": {
    "@angular/animations": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/cdk": "^8.1.4",
    "@angular/common": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/compiler": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/core": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/forms": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/material": "^8.1.4",
    "@angular/material-moment-adapter": "^8.1.4",
    "@angular/platform-browser": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/platform-browser-dynamic": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/pwa": "^0.803.9",
    "@angular/router": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/service-worker": "^8.2.4",
    "@auth0/angular-jwt": "^2.1.2",
    "@ngrx/core": "^1.2.0",
    "@ngrx/effects": "^6.1.2",
    "@ngx-translate/core": "^10.0.2",
    "@ngx-translate/http-loader": "^3.0.1",
    "@swimlane/ngx-charts": "^12.0.1",
    "@swimlane/ngx-graph": "^6.1.0",
    "@turf/turf": "^5.1.6",
    "@types/jspdf": "^1.3.1",
    "angular-tree-component": "8.5.2",
    "core-js": "^2.6.9",
    "d3": "^5.11.0",
    "dexie": "^2.0.4",
    "fabric": "^3.4.0",
    "html2canvas": "^1.0.0-rc.3",
    "intl": "^1.2.5",
    "jquery": "^3.4.1",
    "jspdf": "^1.5.3",
    "moment": "^2.24.0",
    "ng2-dragula": "^2.1.1",
    "ngx-device-detector": "^1.3.19",
    "ngx-papaparse": "^4.0.4",
    "ngx-summernote": "^0.5.5",
    "ngx-toastr": "^9.2.0",
    "ngx-translate-multi-http-loader": "^3.0.0",
    "ngx-tui-image-editor": "^7.0.2",
    "ol": "^5.3.3",
    "rxjs": "^6.5.2",
    "snazzy-info-window": "^1.1.1",
    "stream": "0.0.2",
    "summernote": "^0.8.12",
    "timers": "^0.1.1",
    "tslib": "^1.10.0",
    "tui-image-editor": "^3.7.0",
    "xml-js": "^1.6.11",
    "zone.js": "~0.9.1"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@angular-devkit/build-angular": "~0.800.6",
    "@angular/cli": "~8.0.6",
    "@angular/compiler-cli": "^8.2.4",
    "@angular/language-service": "^8.2.4",
    "@types/jasmine": "^2.8.16",
    "@types/jasminewd2": "^2.0.6",
    "@types/node": "^8.10.53",
    "acorn": "^6.3.0",
    "angular-tslint-rules": "^1.18.0",
    "codelyzer": "^5.0.1",
    "commitizen": "^4.0.3",
    "git-branch": "^2.0.1",
    "jasmine-core": "~2.99.1",
    "jasmine-spec-reporter": "~4.2.1",
    "karma": "^3.1.4",
    "karma-chrome-launcher": "^2.2.0",
    "karma-coverage-istanbul-reporter": "^2.0.6",
    "karma-jasmine": "~1.1.1",
    "karma-jasmine-html-reporter": "^0.2.2",
    "parcel-bundler": "^1.12.3",
    "shallow-render": "^8.2.1",
    "ts-loader": "6.2.1",
    "ts-node": "~5.0.1",
    "tslint": "^5.19.0",
    "tslint-config-airbnb": "^5.11.1",
    "typescript": "~3.4.5"
  },
  "config": {
    "commitizen": {
      "path": "./tools/.cz-config.js"
    }
  }
}

Compodoc installed globally or locally ?

globally

If possible sourcecode of the file where it breaks

All my *-routing.module.ts

If possible your terminal logs before the error

Unhandled Rejection at: Promise {
  <rejected> InvalidOperationError: Could not find the node's symbol.
      at InvalidOperationError.BaseError [as constructor] (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/BaseError.js:7:28)
      at new InvalidOperationError (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/InvalidOperationError.js:8:28)
      at Object.throwIfNullOrUndefined (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/helpers.js:96:15)
      at Identifier.Node.getSymbolOrThrow (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/compiler/common/Node.js:131:23)
      at RouterParserUtil.cleanFileDynamics (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:5668:18)
      at AngularDependencies.getSourceFileDecorators (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:8152:46)
      at /Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:7960:31
      at Array.map (<anonymous>)
      at AngularDependencies.getDependencies (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:7949:21)
      at CliApplication.Application.getDependenciesData (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:9498:40)
} reason: InvalidOperationError: Could not find the node's symbol.
    at InvalidOperationError.BaseError [as constructor] (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/BaseError.js:7:28)
    at new InvalidOperationError (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/InvalidOperationError.js:8:28)
    at Object.throwIfNullOrUndefined (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/errors/helpers.js:96:15)
    at Identifier.Node.getSymbolOrThrow (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/node_modules/ts-simple-ast/dist/compiler/common/Node.js:131:23)
    at RouterParserUtil.cleanFileDynamics (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:5668:18)
    at AngularDependencies.getSourceFileDecorators (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:8152:46)
    at /Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:7960:31
    at Array.map (<anonymous>)
    at AngularDependencies.getDependencies (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:7949:21)
    at CliApplication.Application.getDependenciesData (/Users/dimitrirodriguesoliveira/.nvm/versions/node/v12.13.0/lib/node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js:9498:40)
[12:16:13] Sorry, but there was a problem during parsing or generation of the documentation. Please fill an issue on github. (https://github.com/compodoc/compodoc/issues/new)

Motivation for or Use Case

Cannot generate the documentation

Reproduce the error

Use compodoc on any complex lazy-loading app

Related issues

Yes, many that are flagged as wontfix

Suggest a Fix

[arthur-97]

Compodoc does not understand lazy loading when written with an arrow function with parentheses (m) => m.MyModule.

1. open node_modules/@compodoc/compodoc/dist/application-54cd2170.js
2. look at row 5129
3. replace
   /(['"]loadChildren['"]:)\(\)=>"import\((\\'|'|")([^'"]+?)(\\'|'|")\)\.then\(\w+?=>\S+?\.([^)]+?)\)(\\'|'|")/g;
   to
   /(['"]loadChildren['"]:)\(\)=>"import\((\\'|'|")([^'"]+?)(\\'|'|")\)\.then\(\(?\w+?\)?=>\S+?\.([^)]+?)\)(\\'|'|")/g;

[tsiegleauq]

the solution from @iamruslanbakirov works for me. Yet I don’t even know why.

The compodoc generator fails when using Routes (which is Angulars default route syntax) instead of Route[], greeting you with the following error.

[12:22:59] Analysing routes definitions and clean them if necessary
Unhandled Rejection at: Promise {
  <rejected> InvalidOperationError: Could not find the node's symbol.

What’s confusing about this is that in Angulars source code, Routes itself is simply: export declare type Routes = Route[]; (an array of Route-Objects)

However: Replacing all const routes: Routes with const routes: Route[] in all of your *-routing.module.ts files does the trick.

To me it looks like some serious bugs in compodoc. That all related issues are marked with wontfix makes this tool even more frustrating.