Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' during build in RDFLib dependency

[danielbakas]

Hi!

While building a Next.js project that includes RDFLib (rdflib@2.2.37), the build fails due to a missing module error in rdf-canonize:

Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' in '.../node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib'

This error seems to originate from rdf-canonize, which is a dependency of jsonld, which in turn is required by RDFLib.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create a Next.js project (next@15.2.1).
2. Install rdflib@2.2.37 using pnpm.
3. Run next build.

Expected Behavior

The build should complete successfully without missing dependencies.

Actual Behavior

• The build fails with Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native'.
• The issue appears in the dependency chain: rdflib → jsonld → rdf-canonize.
• A separate TypeError: Cannot set properties of undefined (setting 'WordArray') also appears in the logs.

Environment

• Package Manager: pnpm
• RDFLib Version: 2.2.37
• Next.js Version: 15.2.1
• Node.js Version: 23.9.0

Attempts to solve

• Add rdf-canonize-native dependency → Failed (different error) at installation

Full Log

next dev

   ▲ Next.js 15.2.1
   - Local:        http://localhost:3000
   - Network:      http://192.168.68.105:3000

 ✓ Starting...
 ✓ Ready in 2.7s
 ○ Compiling / ...
 ⚠ ./node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib/index.js
Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' in '.../node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib'

Import trace for requested module:
./node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib/index.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/index.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/jsonld@8.3.3_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/jsonld/lib/jsonld.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/jsonld@8.3.3_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/jsonld/lib/index.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/jsonldparser.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/fetcher.js
./node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/index.js

Conclusion

Thank you in advance!!!

[danielbakas]

Related to:

• Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' during build in RDFLib dependency linkeddata/rdflib.js#665
• Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' during build in RDFLib dependency rdf-canonize-native#10

[davidlehn]

• We're no longer actively using or updating https://github.com/digitalbazaar/rdf-canonize-native.
• The performance of https://github.com/digitalbazaar/rdf-canonize on modern runtimes is fine for our use case.
• We've also moved forward with spec related updates and other improves in the JS code.
• I think the plan going forward will be to update rdf-canonize to drop support for rdf-canonize-native entirely.
• If in the future someone updates rdf-canonize-native to use modern Node.js APIs for the C++ version, or uses Rust, or anything like that, we'll look at performance again. I suspect the switch of which API to use would happen up the stack, like in jsonld or higher, and callers could choose which rdf-canon implementation to use. The current API switching support is too difficult to maintain and use.
• The current issue is tooling that doesn't know how to deal with the speculative require of this library from rdf-canonize. If you can higher up cause that to do nothing, tooling should work. Something like a package.json browser field flag setting this module to null.
• Addressing these changes is on a near term todo list, but I can't say when we'll get the new updates out. It will be a rdf-canonize release then a major jsonld release with various updates including using the newest rdf-canonize.

[danielbakas]

Hi @davidlehn! Thank you for such meaningful and prompt reply.

If I understand correctly jsonld.js will be updated and drop rdf-canonize-native to replace it with rdf-canonize

Where I got lost is, do you know what is causing this specific issue stemming from rdflib, passing through jsonld and landing in rdf-canonize-native?

And most importantly, do you have any suggestions for this bug fix?

Thank you!!

[davidlehn]

If I understand correctly jsonld.js will be updated drop rdf-canonize-native and replace it with rdf-canonize

• rdf-canonize will drop support for using rdf-canonize-native.
• jsonld will use the updated rdf-canonize.

Where I got lost is, do you know what is causing this specific issue stemming from rdflib, passing through jsonld and landing in rdf-canonize-native?

• This line is speculatively trying to use rdf-canonize-native:
  https://github.com/digitalbazaar/rdf-canonize/blob/3f69b8fe068dc6cd6f1f6292468896ad5eb920e2/lib/index.js#L40-L44
• As the rdf-canonize README mentions, you need to explicitly install rdf-canonize-native and pass proper flags for it to even be used.
• The tooling you are using is trying staticly process the code and blindly loading that library even though it doesn't exist.
• The theory was that at runtime the code would simply fail to require and support the library in most cases. That's not an elegant solution and we wouldn't write it like that now. At the time, many many years ago, it seemed like a good idea.

And most importantly, do you have any suggestions for this bug fix?

As I mentioned, you need to make your tooling ignore that require. In webpack or similar you might be able to do something like the following in package.json:

"browser": {
  "rdf-canonize-native": false
}

Your tooling might handle the above too or maybe some other way to override specific packages to something else or nothing.

[danielbakas]

• rdf-canonize will drop support for using rdf-canonize-native.
• jsonld will use the updated rdf-canonize.

Awesome! Thanks @davidlehn

• The tooling you are using is trying staticly process the code and blindly loading that library even though it doesn't exist.

That's right! I'm using Next.js and it may be trying to compile the library, but I don't have the library installed.

As I mentioned, you need to make your tooling ignore that require.

Ok. I will try this and come back to share my insights.

Thank you @davidlehn! Means a lot

[lennartdeknikker]

Hi there! Joining the conversation, because I encountered the same issue:

> next build

   ▲ Next.js 15.3.1
   - Environments: .env
   - Experiments (use with caution):
     ✓ nodeMiddleware
     · clientTraceMetadata

   Creating an optimized production build ...
 ⚠ Compiled with warnings in 9.0s

../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib/index.js
Module not found: Can't resolve 'rdf-canonize-native' in '/Users/lennartdeknikker/Projects/<my-rdf-project>/node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib'

Import trace for requested module:
../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/lib/index.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdf-canonize@3.4.0/node_modules/rdf-canonize/index.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/jsonld@8.3.3_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/jsonld/lib/jsonld.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/jsonld@8.3.3_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/jsonld/lib/index.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/jsonldparser.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/fetcher.js
../../node_modules/.pnpm/rdflib@2.2.37_web-streams-polyfill@3.3.3/node_modules/rdflib/esm/index.j

Adding this browser field in package.json didn't resolve the issue for me in this Next.js@15.3.1 project:

"browser": {
  "rdf-canonize-native": false
}

However, by adding this to my next.config I was able to ignore the package during builds, and resolve the warnings:

    webpack(config) {
        config.resolve.alias = {
            ...config.resolve.alias,
            'rdf-canonize': false
        }

        return config;
    }

Do note that this issue only occurs with Webpack.

Currently NextJS by default already uses turbopack for de, but still uses Webpack during builds:

Currently, Turbopack for dev is stable, while build is in alpha. We are actively working on production support as Turbopack moves closer to stability.

Alternatively, this means you could already switch to using Turbopack for builds making this fix obsolete:

"build": "next build --turbopack",

[dahlia]

• rdf-canonize will drop support for using rdf-canonize-native.

• jsonld will use the updated rdf-canonize.

Hi! Thanks for the update. We're hitting this rdf-canonize-native issue in our Nuxt project.

Would you have any rough sense of timing for the planned update? No pressure—just trying to decide whether to wait or fork and patch it ourselves.

Appreciate all your work on this!