Setting a path for require in node.js

Question

I have a folder structure like this.

include/
- index.js
- plugin/
  - plugin.js
  - helper.js

Where:-

include/index.js

//Function for mapping the path of  "require" statement in  the plugin.js file.

var mapRequirePath = function(){

    var plugins = require('./plugin/plugin');
     return plugins;
}

//Now call the plugins..
var plugin = mapRequirePath();

include/plugin/plugin.js

    /*
       I want all four require statements to point to the same file location '/include/plugin/helper.js'

      i.e search in the same folder location for module irrespective of the '../' or '../../' present in the require statement
    */

    var helper1 = require('./helper');
    var helper2 = require('helper');
    var helper3 = require('../../helper');
    var helper4 = require('../helper');

I want to map the path of require in plugin.js file so that all require call should search for its module in the same directory only.

Andreas Louv · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-15 17:22:48Z

6

You might be able to dynamically change the NODE_PATH environment variable:

// First take a backup:
var _NODE_PATH = process.env.NODE_PATH;
// Add /includes/plugin to the path, also note that we need to support 
//   `require('../hello.js')`. We can do that by adding /includes/plugin/a, 
//   /includes/plugin/a/b, etc.. to the list
process.env.NODE_PATH+=':/includes/plugin:/includes/plugin/a';
// Do your think...
require('./plugins/plugin');
// Restore NODE_PATH 
process.env.NODE_PATH = _NODE_PATH;

edited Nov 15, 2015 at 17:22

answered Nov 15, 2015 at 17:16

Andreas Louv

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1 Comment

Papooch Over a year ago

This does not seem to work anymore. process.env.NODE_PATH returns undefined for me. But module.paths returns the search paths. That can be changed, but only for a single module, I'd like for it to work for the whole app.

jrkt · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-15 17:19:18Z

2

Try changing the NODE_PATH variable via the command line:

exports NODE_PATH=directoryYouWant

If you don't want to have to change it for every other project, you could try just dynamically changing it in you .js file:

var currentNodePath = process.env.NODE_PATH;
process.env.NODE_PATH = directoryYouWant;
//do stuff then change it back
process.env.NODE_PATH = currentNodePath;

edited Nov 15, 2015 at 17:19

answered Nov 15, 2015 at 17:10

jrkt

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2 Comments

Robins Gupta Over a year ago

That would change the Node path for all filesystem. I just want to change it only in the case of the require call inside /include/plugin folder

jrkt Over a year ago

I see we had a similar idea :)

Yunus · Accepted Answer · 2021-07-02 18:58:05Z

1

If your wanna add /foo/bar to require:

by editting process.env.NODE_PATH

then your js files should reside inside /foo/bar/node_modules/

process.env.NODE_PATH = '/foo/bar' + ':' + process.env.NODE_PATH;

by editting module.paths

then your js files should reside inside /foo/bar/

module.paths.push('/foo/bar');

edited Jul 2, 2021 at 18:58

answered May 15, 2021 at 19:23

Yunus

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