New Asset Modules type: asset/null, to properly replace null-loader

Feature request

New asset module type: asset/null, to properly replace the now deprecated null-loader

What is the expected behavior?

    rules: [
      ...
      {
        test: /\.css$/,
        type: 'asset/null'
      }
    ]

To replace the use of the now deprecated null-loader in situations analogous to the following

    rules: [
      ...
      {
        test: /\.css$/,
        use: [
          { loader: "null-loader" }
        ]
      }
    ]

That is: to tell webpack to ignore a module but, instead of based on a name, to ignore a module based on a rule.

What is motivation or use case for adding/changing the behavior?

The documented way to replace the use of null-loader

Setting resolve.alias.package to false will tell webpack@5 to ignore a module.

does not correctly replace the deprecated loader.

In particular, it does not allow webpack to prevent modules from being imported based on a rule, which was one the uses for null-loader.

Using resolve.alias also implies that the name of the modules to be ignored are known when creating the webpack config, which is not always true or even possible.

How should this be implemented in your opinion?

With the creation of a new type for asset modules: asset/null.

The change is also consistent with how the other deprecated modules were dealt with

• asset/resource replaced file-loader
• asset/inline replaced url-loader
• asset/source replaced raw-loader

With this proposal asset/null would replace null-loader

Are you willing to work on this yourself?

Yes, if directed to the appropriate parts of the code

[ferdinando-ferreira]

I think we need this option

Thanks! I can submit a PR for it if you guys want.

[alexander-akait]

Ideally we should not run plugin, just create locals and return them