Promise generated by writeBuffer() from exceljs is broken in production

[Senneseph]

🐞 Bug report

Command (mark with an x)

- [ ] new
- [ x] build
- [ ] serve
- [ ] test
- [ ] e2e
- [ ] generate
- [ ] add
- [ ] update
- [ ] lint
- [ ] xi18n
- [ ] run
- [ ] config
- [ ] help
- [ ] version
- [ ] doc

Is this a regression?

Yes, the previous version in which this bug was not present was: 7.x

Description

In my project, I use the exceljs library for some light spreadsheet manipulation. However, with Angular 8, there's something going wrong with the build. On the dev server, calls to writeBuffer()'s promise complete as expected. But once the production build is created, it's like the promise writeBuffer() creates is never run.

🔬 Minimal Reproduction

Here is a stackblitz which captures the basics of the problem; however, note that for the stackblitz, writeBuffer() works (I believe it's running in development mode). https://stackblitz.com/edit/angular-xi5bzs

This library has been working since Angular 4, but maybe I importing it incorrectly.

This is how I make the library available to my app. In tsconfig.json:

tsconfig.json

{
  "compileOnSave": false,
  "compilerOptions": {
    "paths": {
      "exceljs": ["node_modules/exceljs/dist/exceljs.min"],
    },
  ...

🌍 Your Environment

Angular CLI: 8.0.1
Node: 10.15.3
OS: linux x64
Angular: 8.0.0
... animations, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms
... language-service, platform-browser, platform-browser-dynamic
... router

Package                           Version
-----------------------------------------------------------
@angular-devkit/architect         0.800.1
@angular-devkit/build-angular     0.800.1
@angular-devkit/build-optimizer   0.800.1
@angular-devkit/build-webpack     0.800.1
@angular-devkit/core              8.0.1
@angular-devkit/schematics        8.0.1
@angular/cli                      8.0.1
@ngtools/webpack                  8.0.1
@schematics/angular               8.0.1
@schematics/update                0.800.1
rxjs                              6.4.0
typescript                        3.4.5
webpack                           4.30.0

Anything else relevant?

Happens for both ES5 and ES6 targets, Chrome and IE11 (no other browsers tested).

[filipesilva]

If I had to bet, it's related to Build Optimizer. Can you try turning it off in your angular.json?

[Senneseph]

Thanks for the input, @filipesilva, however, turning off build optimizer didn't change the behavior.

In my angular.json:

{
  "projects": {
    "excel-test": {
    ...,
      "architect": {
        "build": {
          ...,
          "options": {
          ...,
          "configurations": {
            "production": {
              ...,
              "buildOptimizer": false,

It could be something about this particular library - the whole thing is pulled in even if you are using a subset of the functionality.

[miiihi]

Having the same problem in app with Angular 7.2.14

Node: 8.12.0
OS: win32 x64
Angular: 7.2.14
... animations, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms
... language-service, platform-browser, platform-browser-dynamic
... router, service-worker

Package                           Version
-----------------------------------------------------------
@angular-devkit/architect         0.13.8
@angular-devkit/build-angular     0.13.8
@angular-devkit/build-optimizer   0.13.8
@angular-devkit/build-webpack     0.13.8
@angular-devkit/core              7.3.8
@angular-devkit/schematics        7.3.8
@angular/cdk                      7.3.7
@angular/cli                      7.3.8
@angular/flex-layout              7.0.0-beta.24
@angular/material                 7.3.7
@angular/pwa                      0.13.8
@ngtools/webpack                  7.3.8
@schematics/angular               7.3.8
@schematics/update                0.13.8
rxjs                              6.5.1
typescript                        3.2.4
webpack                           4.29.0```

[gokme]

Facing the same issue.

Works perfectly fine in development environment. But in production fails miserably.

Node: 8.9.4
OS: win x64
Angular: 7.X
... animations, common, compiler, compiler-cli, core, forms
... language-service, platform-browser, platform-browser-dynamic
... router

Package Version

"@angular/animations": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/cdk": "^7.3.7",
"@angular/common": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/compiler": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/core": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/forms": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/material": "^7.3.7",
"@angular/platform-browser": "~7.1.0",
"@angular/router": "~7.1.0",

[MohammedHelly]

Having the same problem in app with Angular 8.0.0

[Senneseph]

@filipesilva
Forgot to update this, yes I tried turning of the build optimizer but it didn't change anything. It may be that it's a problem with the library itself, but it's so weird that the functions totally cease to work - no error messages, no exceptions, or anything.

[rahulrastogi-git]

hi all,
facing same issue (angular 7), based on previous conversation both angular 7 and 8 are having same issue, could it be ExcelJs issue then?

any alternate? like writetofile? or previous version of exceljs ?

thanks

[SandipanThorat00]

Hi all,
exceljs 1.10.0 works for me with angular 7.2.2.
I was facing the same issue with exceljs 1.12 and 1.13 in angular 7.2.2,
I downgrade the exceljs version to 1.10.0 and it works for me in angular 7.2.