How to solve [webpack-cli] TypeError: cli.isMultipleCompiler is not a function

I had a similar error trying to run a Jhipster app, the error is:

[webpack-cli] TypeError: cli.isMultipleCompiler is not a function
at Command.<anonymous> (C:\Users\doe\folder\MyApp\node_modules\@webpack-cli\serve\lib\index.js:146:35)
at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)
at async Promise.all (index 1)
at async Command.<anonymous> (C:\Users\doe\folder\MyApp\node_modules\webpack-cli\lib\webpack-cli.js:1674:7)

Some suggest to update the webpack-cli from 4.9.2 to 4.10.0

For me works and could run npm start

I hope works for you.

References from webpack issues

Ensure you are in your project directory in your terminal

first, type the following in your terminal and hit enter

npm install --save-dev webpack-cli

then type the following and hit enter:

npm upgrade --save-dev webpack-cli

it should work

Maybe you will have to do this in every new project you create.

Here is how you update your webpack-cli for anyone else who was curious.

First, check your version of webpack by running this command in the terminal of your IDE: webpack --version. You should see a list that appears like this:

webpack: 5.71.0
webpack-cli: 4.10.0     
webpack-dev-server 4.8.0

If your webpack-cli reads anything below 4.10.0, then you need to update it to the latest version for npm to run properly on your localhost with JHipster. Here's how to update it.

Run this command in the terminal of your IDE:

npm install webpack-cli@4.10.0

[Right now, the latest version is 4.10.0, but for the future updates when you run this command, change the version at the end of the command line to updated to that current version:

npm install webpack-cli@(INSERT NEW VERSION DIGITS HERE).

Then re-run webpack --version, and see if your webpack has updated to the version that you entered above.

EXTRA NOTES:

Why did you have this error? According to webpack.js.org: "Note that this is not a recommended practice. Installing globally locks you down to a specific version of webpack and could fail in projects that use a different version."

So, if you ran a command like this: npm install --global webpack, then there is a good chance that you were locked down to a specific version. This might have been the error. That's what I believe happened to me anyway. I ran npm install -g, or something of that nature.

Sources for your journey and research that relate to the material above:

1. https://webpack.js.org/guides/installation/
2. https://stackabuse.com/npm-install-specific-version-of-a-package/

Hope this helps! Best of blessings to ya!

ensure you are in your project directory in your terminal

Type the following in your terminal and hit enter

npm install webpack-cli

If you are using yarn then run yarn add webpack-cli

Before saying npm start, try writing the code I marked with an asterisk.

1--dfx deploy ***2--- npm install --save-dev webpack-cli 3- npm start