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node.jsrequire

NodeJs require('./file.js') issues

I am having issues including files to execute in my NodeJs project.

I have two files in the same directory:

a.js

var test = "Hello World";

and

b.js

require('./a.js');
console.log(test);

I execute b.js with node b.js and get the error ReferenceError: test is not defined.

I have looked through the docs http://nodejs.org/api/modules.html#modules_file_modules

What am I missing?

Solution

  • Change a.js to export the variable:

    exports.test = "Hello World";

    and assign the return value of require('./a.js') to a variable:

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

    Another pattern you will often see and probably use is to assign something (an object, function) to the module.exports object in a.js, like so:

    module.exports = { big: "string" };