Rollup Multi-Entry Plugin

A Rollup plugin that enables use of multiple entry points for a single bundle, automatically combining named exports from all entry files. It extends Rollup's input option to support various input types including glob patterns, arrays of paths, and include/exclude configurations for fine-grain control over which files should be used as entry points.

The plugin works by creating a virtual entry file that imports or exports from all matched entry files, then hands control back to Rollup for the actual bundling process.

Package Information

• Package Name: @rollup/plugin-multi-entry
• Package Type: npm
• Language: JavaScript/TypeScript
• Installation: npm install @rollup/plugin-multi-entry --save-dev

Core Imports

import multiEntry from '@rollup/plugin-multi-entry';

For CommonJS:

const multiEntry = require('@rollup/plugin-multi-entry');

Basic Usage

import multiEntry from '@rollup/plugin-multi-entry';

export default {
  input: ['src/batman.js', 'src/robin.js', 'src/joker.js'],
  output: {
    dir: 'output'
  },
  plugins: [multiEntry()]
};

With the following input files:

// batman.js
export const belt = 'utility';

// robin.js  
export const tights = 'tight';

// joker.js
export const color = 'purple';

The resulting bundle will export belt, tights, and color as named exports.

Architecture

The plugin implements a virtual entry file approach with the following key components:

• Virtual Entry Generation: Creates a virtual entry file that imports/exports from all matched input files
• Input Transformation: Modifies Rollup's input option to point to the virtual entry file
• Hook Implementation: Uses Rollup hooks (options, outputOptions, buildStart, resolveId, load) to coordinate the virtual entry system
• Pattern Matching: Leverages the matched library for glob pattern resolution
• File Combination: Combines named exports from all entry files into a single bundle

The plugin intercepts Rollup's normal entry resolution process, replaces the input with a virtual entry file, and then provides that virtual file's content through Rollup's plugin hooks.

Capabilities

Multi-Entry Plugin Factory

Creates a Rollup plugin for multi-entry bundling.

import type { FilterPattern } from '@rollup/pluginutils';
import type { Plugin } from 'rollup';

function multiEntry(options?: RollupMultiEntryOptions): Plugin;

interface RollupMultiEntryOptions {
  /** 
   * A minimatch pattern, or array of patterns, which specifies the files 
   * in the build the plugin should operate on. By default all files are targeted.
   */
  include?: FilterPattern;
  /** 
   * A minimatch pattern, or array of patterns, which specifies the files 
   * in the build the plugin should ignore. By default no files are ignored.
   */
  exclude?: FilterPattern;
  /** 
   * If true, instructs the plugin to export named exports to the bundle from all entries.
   * If false, the plugin will not export any entry exports to the bundle.
   * @default true
   */
  exports?: boolean;
  /** 
   * Changes the name of the generated entry file.
   * By default, it will override outputOptions.entryFileNames to be 'multi-entry.js'.
   * @default 'multi-entry.js'
   */
  entryFileName?: string;
  /** 
   * The preserveModules option is to be used in conjunction with output.preserveModules.
   * If true, overrides the entryFileName option to be output.entryFileNames.
   * If false, the plugin will respect the entryFileName option.
   * @default false
   */
  preserveModules?: boolean;
}

Input Type Support

The plugin extends Rollup's input option to support multiple value types:

String (Glob Pattern)

Single file path or glob pattern:

export default {
  input: 'src/**/*.js',
  plugins: [multiEntry()]
};

Array of Strings

Multiple file paths or glob patterns:

export default {
  input: ['src/core/*.js', 'src/utils/*.js'],
  plugins: [multiEntry()]
};

Empty arrays are also supported and result in an empty bundle:

export default {
  input: [],
  plugins: [multiEntry()]
};

Object with Include/Exclude

Fine-grain control with include and exclude patterns:

export default {
  input: {
    include: ['src/**/*.js'],
    exclude: ['src/**/*.test.js'],
    exports: true,
    entryFileName: 'my-bundle.js'
  },
  plugins: [multiEntry()]
};

Configuration Options

Export Control

Control whether named exports are combined:

// Export all named exports (default)
multiEntry({ exports: true })

// Don't export any named exports (just combine code)
multiEntry({ exports: false })

Entry File Naming

Customize the generated entry file name:

multiEntry({ entryFileName: 'my-custom-entry.js' })

Preserve Modules

Compatible with Rollup's preserveModules option:

export default {
  input: 'src/**/*.js',
  output: {
    dir: 'dist',
    preserveModules: true
  },
  plugins: [multiEntry({ preserveModules: true })]
};

Requirements

• Node.js: v14.0.0+
• Rollup: v1.20.0+ (supports v1.20.0, v2.x, v3.x, and v4.x)

Limitations

• Default exports cannot be combined and exported by this plugin
• Only named exports will be exported to the bundle
• The plugin creates a virtual entry file to coordinate the multi-entry bundling

Dependencies

• @rollup/plugin-virtual: Virtual file system plugin for creating the entry file
• matched: File matching utility for glob pattern support