Modules Node.js v0.10.25 Manual & Documentation

- Home
- Download
- About
- npm Registry
- Docs
- Blog
- Community
- Logos
- Jobs

@nodejs

# Modules#

    Stability: 5 - Locked

Node has a simple module loading system. In Node, files and modules are in one-to-one correspondence. As an example, `foo.js` loads the module `circle.js` in the same directory.

The contents of `foo.js`:

    var circle = require('./circle.js');
    console.log( 'The area of a circle of radius 4 is '
               + circle.area(4));

The contents of `circle.js`:

    var PI = Math.PI;

    exports.area = function (r) {
      return PI * r * r;
    };

    exports.circumference = function (r) {
      return 2 * PI * r;
    };

The module `circle.js` has exported the functions `area()` and `circumference()`. To add functions and objects to the root of your module, you can add them to the special `exports` object.

Variables local to the module will be private, as though the module was wrapped in a function. In this example the variable `PI` is private to `circle.js`.

If you want the root of your module's export to be a function (such as a constructor) or if you want to export a complete object in one assignment instead of building it one property at a time, assign it to `module.exports` instead of `exports`.

Below, `bar.js` makes use of the `square` module, which exports a constructor:

    var square = require('./square.js');
    var mySquare = square(2);
    console.log('The area of my square is ' + mySquare.area());

The `square` module is defined in `square.js`:

    // assigning to exports will not modify module, must use module.exports
    module.exports = function(width) {
      return {
        area: function() {
          return width * width;
        }
      };
    }

The module system is implemented in the `require("module")` module.

## Cycles#

When there are circular `require()` calls, a module might not be done being executed when it is returned.

Consider this situation:

`a.js`:

    console.log('a starting');
    exports.done = false;
    var b = require('./b.js');
    console.log('in a, b.done = %j', b.done);
    exports.done = true;
    console.log('a done');

`b.js`:

    console.log('b starting');
    exports.done = false;
    var a = require('./a.js');
    console.log('in b, a.done = %j', a.done);
    exports.done = true;
    console.log('b done');

`main.js`:

    console.log('main starting');
    var a = require('./a.js');
    var b = require('./b.js');
    console.log('in main, a.done=%j, b.done=%j', a.done, b.done);

When `main.js` loads `a.js`, then `a.js` in turn loads `b.js`. At that point, `b.js` tries to load `a.js`. In order to prevent an infinite loop an unfinished copy of the `a.js` exports object is returned to the `b.js` module. `b.js` then finishes loading, and its `exports` object is provided to the `a.js` module.

By the time `main.js` has loaded both modules, they're both finished. The output of this program would thus be:

    $ node main.js
    main starting
    a starting
    b starting
    in b, a.done = false
    b done
    in a, b.done = true
    a done
    in main, a.done=true, b.done=true

If you have cyclic module dependencies in your program, make sure to plan accordingly.

## Core Modules#

Node has several modules compiled into the binary. These modules are described in greater detail elsewhere in this documentation.

The core modules are defined in node's source in the `lib/` folder.

Core modules are always preferentially loaded if their identifier is passed to `require()`. For instance, `require('http')` will always return the built in HTTP module, even if there is a file by that name.

## File Modules#

If the exact filename is not found, then node will attempt to load the required filename with the added extension of `.js`, `.json`, and then `.node`.

`.js` files are interpreted as JavaScript text files, and `.json` files are parsed as JSON text files. `.node` files are interpreted as compiled addon modules loaded with `dlopen`.

A module prefixed with `'/'` is an absolute path to the file. For example, `require('/home/marco/foo.js')` will load the file at `/home/marco/foo.js`.

A module prefixed with `'./'` is relative to the file calling `require()`. That is, `circle.js` must be in the same directory as `foo.js` for `require('./circle')` to find it.

Without a leading '/' or './' to indicate a file, the module is either a "core module" or is loaded from a `node_modules` folder.

If the given path does not exist, `require()` will throw an Error with its `code` property set to `'MODULE_NOT_FOUND'`.

## Loading from `node_modules` Folders#

If the module identifier passed to `require()` is not a native module, and does not begin with `'/'`, `'../'`, or `'./'`, then node starts at the parent directory of the current module, and adds `/node_modules`, and attempts to load the module from that location.

If it is not found there, then it moves to the parent directory, and so on, until the root of the tree is reached.

For example, if the file at `'/home/ry/projects/foo.js'` called `require('bar.js')`, then node would look in the following locations, in this order:

- `/home/ry/projects/node_modules/bar.js`
- `/home/ry/node_modules/bar.js`
- `/home/node_modules/bar.js`
- `/node_modules/bar.js`

This allows programs to localize their dependencies, so that they do not clash.

## Folders as Modules#

It is convenient to organize programs and libraries into self-contained directories, and then provide a single entry point to that library. There are three ways in which a folder may be passed to `require()` as an argument.

The first is to create a `package.json` file in the root of the folder, which specifies a `main` module. An example package.json file might look like this:

    { "name" : "some-library",
      "main" : "./lib/some-library.js" }

If this was in a folder at `./some-library`, then `require('./some-library')` would attempt to load `./some-library/lib/some-library.js`.

This is the extent of Node's awareness of package.json files.

If there is no package.json file present in the directory, then node will attempt to load an `index.js` or `index.node` file out of that directory. For example, if there was no package.json file in the above example, then `require('./some-library')` would attempt to load:

- `./some-library/index.js`
- `./some-library/index.node`

## Caching#

Modules are cached after the first time they are loaded. This means (among other things) that every call to `require('foo')` will get exactly the same object returned, if it would resolve to the same file.

Multiple calls to `require('foo')` may not cause the module code to be executed multiple times. This is an important feature. With it, "partially done" objects can be returned, thus allowing transitive dependencies to be loaded even when they would cause cycles.

If you want to have a module execute code multiple times, then export a function, and call that function.

### Module Caching Caveats#

Modules are cached based on their resolved filename. Since modules may resolve to a different filename based on the location of the calling module (loading from `node_modules` folders), it is not a guarantee that `require('foo')` will always return the exact same object, if it would resolve to different files.

## The `module` Object#

- {Object}

In each module, the `module` free variable is a reference to the object representing the current module. For convenience, `module.exports` is also accessible via the `exports` module-global. `module` isn't actually a global but rather local to each module.

### module.exports#

- Object

The `module.exports` object is created by the Module system. Sometimes this is not acceptable; many want their module to be an instance of some class. To do this assign the desired export object to `module.exports`. Note that assigning the desired object to `exports` will simply rebind the local `exports` variable, which is probably not what you want to do.

For example suppose we were making a module called `a.js`

    var EventEmitter = require('events').EventEmitter;

    module.exports = new EventEmitter();

    // Do some work, and after some time emit
    // the 'ready' event from the module itself.
    setTimeout(function() {
      module.exports.emit('ready');
    }, 1000);

Then in another file we could do

    var a = require('./a');
    a.on('ready', function() {
      console.log('module a is ready');
    });

Note that assignment to `module.exports` must be done immediately. It cannot be done in any callbacks. This does not work:

x.js:

    setTimeout(function() {
      module.exports = { a: "hello" };
    }, 0);

y.js:

    var x = require('./x');
    console.log(x.a);

#### exports alias#

The `exports` variable that is available within a module starts as a reference to `module.exports`. As with any variable, if you assign a new value to it, it is no longer bound to the previous value.

To illustrate the behaviour, imagine this hypothetical implementation of `require()`:

    function require(...) {
      // ...
      function (module, exports) {
        // Your module code here
        exports = some_func;        // re-assigns exports, exports is no longer
                                    // a shortcut, and nothing is exported.
        module.exports = some_func; // makes your module export 0
      } (module, module.exports);
      return module;
    }

As a guideline, if the relationship between `exports` and `module.exports` seems like magic to you, ignore `exports` and only use `module.exports`.

### module.require(id)#

- `id` String
- Return: Object `module.exports` from the resolved module

The `module.require` method provides a way to load a module as if `require()` was called from the original module.

Note that in order to do this, you must get a reference to the `module` object. Since `require()` returns the `module.exports`, and the `module` is typically only available within a specific module's code, it must be explicitly exported in order to be used.

### module.id#

- String

The identifier for the module. Typically this is the fully resolved filename.

### module.filename#

- String

The fully resolved filename to the module.

### module.loaded#

- Boolean

Whether or not the module is done loading, or is in the process of loading.

### module.parent#

- Module Object

The module that required this one.

### module.children#

- Array

The module objects required by this one.

## All Together...#

To get the exact filename that will be loaded when `require()` is called, use the `require.resolve()` function.

Putting together all of the above, here is the high-level algorithm in pseudocode of what require.resolve does:

    require(X) from module at path Y
    1. If X is a core module,
       a. return the core module
       b. STOP
    2. If X begins with './' or '/' or '../'
       a. LOAD_AS_FILE(Y + X)
       b. LOAD_AS_DIRECTORY(Y + X)
    3. LOAD_NODE_MODULES(X, dirname(Y))
    4. THROW "not found"

    LOAD_AS_FILE(X)
    1. If X is a file, load X as JavaScript text.  STOP
    2. If X.js is a file, load X.js as JavaScript text.  STOP
    3. If X.node is a file, load X.node as binary addon.  STOP

    LOAD_AS_DIRECTORY(X)
    1. If X/package.json is a file,
       a. Parse X/package.json, and look for "main" field.
       b. let M = X + (json main field)
       c. LOAD_AS_FILE(M)
    2. If X/index.js is a file, load X/index.js as JavaScript text.  STOP
    3. If X/index.node is a file, load X/index.node as binary addon.  STOP

    LOAD_NODE_MODULES(X, START)
    1. let DIRS=NODE_MODULES_PATHS(START)
    2. for each DIR in DIRS:
       a. LOAD_AS_FILE(DIR/X)
       b. LOAD_AS_DIRECTORY(DIR/X)

    NODE_MODULES_PATHS(START)
    1. let PARTS = path split(START)
    2. let ROOT = index of first instance of "node_modules" in PARTS, or 0
    3. let I = count of PARTS - 1
    4. let DIRS = []
    5. while I > ROOT,
       a. if PARTS[I] = "node_modules" CONTINUE
       c. DIR = path join(PARTS[0 .. I] + "node_modules")
       b. DIRS = DIRS + DIR
       c. let I = I - 1
    6. return DIRS

## Loading from the global folders#

If the `NODE_PATH` environment variable is set to a colon-delimited list of absolute paths, then node will search those paths for modules if they are not found elsewhere. (Note: On Windows, `NODE_PATH` is delimited by semicolons instead of colons.)

Additionally, node will search in the following locations:

- 1: `$HOME/.node_modules`
- 2: `$HOME/.node_libraries`
- 3: `$PREFIX/lib/node`

Where `$HOME` is the user's home directory, and `$PREFIX` is node's configured `node_prefix`.

These are mostly for historic reasons. You are highly encouraged to place your dependencies locally in `node_modules` folders. They will be loaded faster, and more reliably.

## Accessing the main module#

When a file is run directly from Node, `require.main` is set to its `module`. That means that you can determine whether a file has been run directly by testing

    require.main === module

For a file `foo.js`, this will be `true` if run via `node foo.js`, but `false` if run by `require('./foo')`.

Because `module` provides a `filename` property (normally equivalent to `__filename`), the entry point of the current application can be obtained by checking `require.main.filename`.

## Addenda: Package Manager Tips#

The semantics of Node's `require()` function were designed to be general enough to support a number of sane directory structures. Package manager programs such as `dpkg`, `rpm`, and `npm` will hopefully find it possible to build native packages from Node modules without modification.

Below we give a suggested directory structure that could work:

Let's say that we wanted to have the folder at `/usr/lib/node/<some-package>/<some-version>` hold the contents of a specific version of a package.

Packages can depend on one another. In order to install package `foo`, you may have to install a specific version of package `bar`. The `bar` package may itself have dependencies, and in some cases, these dependencies may even collide or form cycles.

Since Node looks up the `realpath` of any modules it loads (that is, resolves symlinks), and then looks for their dependencies in the `node_modules` folders as described above, this situation is very simple to resolve with the following architecture:

- `/usr/lib/node/foo/1.2.3/` - Contents of the `foo` package, version 1.2.3.
- `/usr/lib/node/bar/4.3.2/` - Contents of the `bar` package that `foo` depends on.
- `/usr/lib/node/foo/1.2.3/node_modules/bar` - Symbolic link to `/usr/lib/node/bar/4.3.2/`.
- `/usr/lib/node/bar/4.3.2/node_modules/*` - Symbolic links to the packages that `bar` depends on.

Thus, even if a cycle is encountered, or if there are dependency conflicts, every module will be able to get a version of its dependency that it can use.

When the code in the `foo` package does `require('bar')`, it will get the version that is symlinked into `/usr/lib/node/foo/1.2.3/node_modules/bar`. Then, when the code in the `bar` package calls `require('quux')`, it'll get the version that is symlinked into `/usr/lib/node/bar/4.3.2/node_modules/quux`.

Furthermore, to make the module lookup process even more optimal, rather than putting packages directly in `/usr/lib/node`, we could put them in `/usr/lib/node_modules/<name>/<version>`. Then node will not bother looking for missing dependencies in `/usr/node_modules` or `/node_modules`.

In order to make modules available to the node REPL, it might be useful to also add the `/usr/lib/node_modules` folder to the `$NODE_PATH` environment variable. Since the module lookups using `node_modules` folders are all relative, and based on the real path of the files making the calls to `require()`, the packages themselves can be anywhere.