JavaScript Modules

Introduced in ES6 / ES2015.

How to write CommonJS exports that can be name-imported from ESM - https://2ality.com/2022/10/commonjs-named-exports.html

VSCode snipped for import: https://2ality.com/2017/08/typing-import-statements.html#a-code-snippet-for-faster-entry

Named

// sayHello.js
export function sayHello() {
  alert('hello')
}

// main.js
import { sayHello } from './sayHello'

sayHello()

You can also have a single, grouped export:

function sayHello() {
  alert('hello')
}

export { sayHello }

Default

// sayHello.js
export default function sayHello() {
  alert('hello')
}

// main.js
import whateverName from './sayHello'

whateverName()

https://humanwhocodes.com/blog/2019/01/stop-using-default-exports-javascript-module/

https://basarat.gitbook.io/typescript/main-1/defaultisbad

Prohibit default exports with https://github.com/import-js/eslint-plugin-import/blob/main/docs/rules/no-default-export.md

Rename with `as`

// Api.js
const getX = () => 'x'
const getY = () => 'y'

export { getX, getY as getYSync }

// main.js
import { getX as getXSync, getYSync } from './Api'

getXSync()
getYSync()

Namespace or wildcard import (module object) - `import * as React from 'react'`

Creates a module object.

https://medium.com/unsplash/named-namespace-imports-7345212bbffb

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Modules#creating_a_module_object

// Api.js
export const getX = () => 'x'
export const getY = () => 'y'

// main.js
import * as Api from './Api'

Api.getX()
Api.getY()

Issues:

We can use any name, eg: import * as ServerApi from './Api'
Editors may not add these imports automatically
https://github.com/import-js/eslint-plugin-import/issues/1547
- Namespace imports are only for two reasons: metaprogramming and laziness. They’re the entire reason “treeshaking” exists as a concept - because namespace imports encourage files that export many things, which encourages non-deep imports, which causes too much code to end up in bundles.
- Specifically, if you have a file that exports 20 things, and you do import { three } from './twenty' or import \* as moreThanWeNeed from './twenty', a bundler will include by default all 20 things. Treeshaking is required to try to guess which of the other 19 it can delete/omit. If, instead, you have 20 files, each that export one thing, then no guessing is required and no omitting/deleting is required; you will have exactly the code you need in your bundle and no more.

Prohibit them with https://github.com/import-js/eslint-plugin-import/blob/main/docs/rules/no-namespace.md

`export * as ns from "mod"`

https://github.com/tc39/proposal-export-ns-from

https://github.com/tc39/ecma262/pull/1174

// Api.js
export const getX = () => 'x'
export const getY = () => 'y'

export * as Api from './Api'

// main.js
import { Api } from './Api'

Api.getX()
Api.getY()

Note that we can still import individually:

// main.js
import { Api, getX, getY } from './Api'

getX()
getY()
Api.getX()
Api.getY()

Re-export

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Modules#aggregating_modules

https://javascript.info/import-export#re-export

Dynamic import

https://github.com/tc39/proposal-dynamic-import

Import maps

https://github.com/WICG/import-maps

https://www.honeybadger.io/blog/import-maps

Import assertions

https://github.com/tc39/proposal-import-assertions

JSON modules

https://github.com/tc39/proposal-json-modules

Named​

Default​

Rename with as​

Namespace or wildcard import (module object) - import * as React from 'react'​

export * as ns from "mod"​

Re-export​

Dynamic import​

Import maps​

Import assertions​

JSON modules​