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

[mfrro]

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.

[sgibson53]

Having the same issue here using angular-cli 1.5.3

TypeError: candidate.value.definition is not a function
    at collapse (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:8275:61)
    at tighten_body (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:8110:17)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:9710:9)
    at AST_BlockStatement.eval [as optimize] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:7481:23)
    at Compressor.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:7464:24)
    at AST_BlockStatement.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4606:31)
    at Compressor.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:7459:9)
    at AST_For.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4559:35)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4578:25)
    at doit (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:134:23)
    at MAP (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:160:52)
    at do_list (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4577:16)
    at eval (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4674:25)
    at Compressor.before (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:7459:9)
    at AST_Function.eval [as transform] (eval at <anonymous> (C:\dev\Web\node_modules\uglifyjs-webpack-plugin\node_modules\uglify-es\tools\node.js:21:1), <anonymous>:4559:35)```

[kzc]

This is an uglify bug: mishoo/UglifyJS#2497

[sgibson53]

Thanks @kzc for letting us know! Do you know how we might implement a workaround for angular cli? Doesn't look like it's straightforward (or even possible?) to pass uglify js options into the build process

[kzc]

As a temporary workaround for this bug you could add collapse_vars: false to the uglify plugin's compress options in your webpack config.

In the case of angular-cli it would use a different syntax due to the way its webpack config file is structured. Try adding the following line after this:

    uglifyCompressOptions.collapse_vars = false;

I'm not an Angular user. @filipesilva Could you please confirm this is the right place for this setting?

[filipesilva]

Hey @kzc, than you for letting us know! We don't expose Uglify options so this is hard to work around... The file you found is indeed the right place.

For users that want a more CI friendly workaround, you can downgrade from 1.5.x to 1.4.x, since the latter uses uglify-js instead of uglify-es (I assume this bug is only on uglify-es).

[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.

[pcwa-ahendricks]

@filipesilva it would be handy if the uglify options were exposed; we are already tweaking the production.js config for compatibility with another popular web mapping library.

[phihonhu]

I got this issue too on CLI 1.5.0.
How to override the uglifyCompressOptions.collapse_vars from cli project without webpack.config.js?

I am downgrading to 1.4.x. 😞

[kzc]

uglify-es@3.2.0 was released with a fix for this issue. Please try it out.

[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): webpack-contrib/uglifyjs-webpack-plugin#176.

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