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+# CSS Modules Export Mode
+
+Most React guides and tutorials expect to import CSS Modules using a **default export object**:
+
+```js
+import styles from './Foo.module.css';
+<button className={styles.bright} />
+```
+
+However, depending on configuration, `css-loader` may instead emit **named exports**:
+
+```js
+import { bright } from './Foo.module.css';
+<button className={bright} />
+```
+
+By default, Shakapacker currently leaves `css-loader`'s `modules.namedExport` option unset, which leads to **named exports** being used in many cases. This can surprise developers expecting the `import styles ...` pattern.
+
+---
+
+## How to Configure Shakapacker for Default Exports
+
+To force the more familiar `import styles ...` behavior (i.e. `namedExport: false`), update your webpack configuration as follows.
+
+### Option 1: Update `config/webpack/commonWebpackConfig.js` (Recommended)
+
+This approach modifies the common webpack configuration that applies to all environments:
+
+```js
+// config/webpack/commonWebpackConfig.js
+const { generateWebpackConfig, merge } = require('shakapacker');
+
+const baseClientWebpackConfig = generateWebpackConfig();
+
+// Override CSS Modules configuration to use default exports instead of named exports
+const overrideCssModulesConfig = (config) => {
+  // Find the CSS rule in the module rules
+  const cssRule = config.module.rules.find(rule =>
+    rule.test && rule.test.toString().includes('css')
+  );
+
+  if (cssRule && cssRule.use) {
+    const cssLoaderUse = cssRule.use.find(use =>
+      use.loader && use.loader.includes('css-loader')
+    );
+
+    if (cssLoaderUse && cssLoaderUse.options && cssLoaderUse.options.modules) {
+      // Set namedExport to false for default export behavior
+      cssLoaderUse.options.modules.namedExport = false;
+      cssLoaderUse.options.modules.exportLocalsConvention = 'asIs';
+    }
+  }
+
+  return config;
+};
+
+const commonOptions = {
+  resolve: {
+    extensions: ['.css', '.ts', '.tsx'],
+  },
+};
+
+const commonWebpackConfig = () => {
+  const config = merge({}, baseClientWebpackConfig, commonOptions);
+  return overrideCssModulesConfig(config);
+};
+
+module.exports = commonWebpackConfig;
+```
+
+### Option 2: Create `config/webpack/environment.js` (Alternative)
+
+If you prefer using a separate environment file:
+
+```js
+// config/webpack/environment.js
+const { environment } = require('@shakacode/shakapacker');
+const getStyleRule = require('@shakacode/shakapacker/package/utils/getStyleRule');
+
+// CSS Modules rule for *.module.css with default export enabled
+const cssModulesRule = getStyleRule(/\.module\.css$/i, [], {
+  sourceMap: true,
+  importLoaders: 2,
+  modules: {
+    auto: true,
+    namedExport: false,            // <-- key: enable default export object
+    exportLocalsConvention: 'asIs' // keep your class names as-is
+  }
+});
+
+// Ensure this rule wins for *.module.css
+if (cssModulesRule) {
+  environment.loaders.prepend('css-modules', cssModulesRule);
+}
+
+// Plain CSS rule for non-modules
+const plainCssRule = getStyleRule(/(?<!\.module)\.css$/i, [], {
+  sourceMap: true,
+  importLoaders: 2,
+  modules: false
+});
+
+if (plainCssRule) {
+  environment.loaders.append('css', plainCssRule);
+}
+
+module.exports = environment;
+```
+
+Then reference this in your environment-specific configs (development.js, production.js, etc.).
+
+### Option 3: (Optional) Sass Modules
+
+If you also use Sass modules, add similar configuration for SCSS files:
+
+```js
+// For Option 1 approach, extend the overrideCssModulesConfig function:
+const overrideCssModulesConfig = (config) => {
+  // Handle both CSS and SCSS rules
+  const styleRules = config.module.rules.filter(rule =>
+    rule.test && (rule.test.toString().includes('css') || rule.test.toString().includes('scss'))
+  );
+
+  styleRules.forEach(rule => {
+    if (rule.use) {
+      const cssLoaderUse = rule.use.find(use =>
+        use.loader && use.loader.includes('css-loader')
+      );
+
+      if (cssLoaderUse && cssLoaderUse.options && cssLoaderUse.options.modules) {
+        cssLoaderUse.options.modules.namedExport = false;
+        cssLoaderUse.options.modules.exportLocalsConvention = 'asIs';
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
+  return config;
+};
+```
+
+---
+
+## Verifying the Configuration
+
+### 1. Rebuild Your Packs
+
+After making the configuration changes, rebuild your webpack bundles:
+
+```bash
+# For development
+NODE_ENV=development bin/shakapacker
+
+# Or with the dev server
+bin/shakapacker-dev-server
+```
+
+### 2. Test in Your React Component
+
+Update your component to use default imports:
+
+```js
+// Before (named exports)
+import { bright } from './Foo.module.css';
+
+// After (default export)
+import styles from './Foo.module.css';
+console.log(styles); // { bright: 'Foo_bright__hash' }
+```
+
+### 3. Debug Webpack Configuration (Optional)
+
+To inspect the final webpack configuration:
+
+```bash
+NODE_ENV=development bin/shakapacker --profile --json > /tmp/webpack-stats.json
+```
+
+Then search for `css-loader` options in the generated JSON file.
+
+---
+
+## Benefits of Default Export Approach
+
+1. **Better Developer Experience**: Matches most React tutorials and documentation
+2. **IDE Support**: Better autocomplete and IntelliSense for CSS class names
+3. **Type Safety**: Easier to add TypeScript definitions for CSS modules
+4. **Consistency**: Aligns with common React ecosystem practices
+
+---
+
+## Migration Guide
+
+If you're migrating from named exports to default exports:
+
+### 1. Update Import Statements
+
+```js
+// Old (named exports)
+import { bright, container, button } from './Component.module.css';
+
+// New (default export)
+import styles from './Component.module.css';
+```
+
+### 2. Update Class References
+
+```js
+// Old
+<div className={container}>
+  <button className={button}>Click me</button>
+  <span className={bright}>Highlighted text</span>
+</div>
+
+// New
+<div className={styles.container}>
+  <button className={styles.button}>Click me</button>
+  <span className={styles.bright}>Highlighted text</span>
+</div>
+```
+
+### 3. Consider Using a Codemod
+
+For large codebases, consider writing a codemod to automate the migration:
+
+```bash
+# Example using jscodeshift (pseudocode)
+npx jscodeshift -t css-modules-migration.js src/
+```
+
+---
+
+## Future Shakapacker Configuration
+
+In future versions of Shakapacker, this configuration may be exposed via `config/shakapacker.yml`:
+
+```yml
+# Future configuration (not yet implemented)
+css_modules:
+  # true  -> named exports (import { bright } ...)
+  # false -> default export (import styles ...)
+  named_export: false
+```
+
+- **Current behavior:** Uses named exports when unset
+- **Future behavior:** New app templates will default to `false`
+- **Next major release:** The default will change to `false` when unset
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### CSS Classes Not Applying
+
+If your CSS classes aren't applying after the change:
+
+1. **Check import syntax**: Ensure you're using `import styles from ...`
+2. **Verify class names**: Use `console.log(styles)` to see available classes
+3. **Rebuild webpack**: Clear cache and rebuild: `rm -rf tmp/cache && bin/shakapacker`
+
+### TypeScript Support
+
+For TypeScript projects, create type definitions for your CSS modules:
+
+```typescript
+// src/types/css-modules.d.ts
+declare module '*.module.css' {
+  const classes: { [key: string]: string };
+  export default classes;
+}
+```
+
+### Build Performance
+
+The configuration changes should not impact build performance significantly. If you experience issues:
+
+1. Check webpack stats: `bin/shakapacker --profile`
+2. Verify only necessary rules are being modified
+3. Consider using webpack bundle analyzer for deeper insights
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+- **Current default**: Named exports (`import { bright } ...`)
+- **Recommended for DX**: Default export (`import styles ...`)
+- **Implementation**: Override CSS loader configuration in `commonWebpackConfig.js`
+- **Migration**: Update imports and class references systematically
+- **Future**: Shakapacker will provide native configuration options