node.js with browser-based API

Question

I have a javascript file that is normally used in a web browser using a script tag. It is a self-executing function that seems to put an object on the window (the window is passed in).

What would be the cleanest way to use it from node.js on the server?

Thanks,

Gareth

Are you looking to: (a) use this file from Node without making any changes? (b) make a separate version of it that will work in Node? or (c) make a single version of the file that's friendly to both browser and Node? — Joe White
– Joe White, Commented Feb 7, 2012 at 14:08
Okay, that eliminates one of the three choices. Are you willing/able to make modifications to this file to make it work (c), or do you have to use the original file as-is (a)? — Joe White
– Joe White, Commented Feb 14, 2012 at 12:51

Joe White · Accepted Answer · 2012-02-14 14:13:55Z

2

If all it does is add attributes to window, and you want to get those back out, you can create a global called window:

global.window = {};
require('theLibrary');
// now do something with global.window.theThingItAdded

However, if the library was written for the browser, it's possible that it still won't run because it wants to use the DOM. In that case, you might want to look into jsdom, which aims to give you a spec-compliant DOM inside Node.

(If you're using jsdom, I think that you would use it instead of the global.window bit above -- I think jsdom does that for you, but with a more full-featured window object. I haven't actually used jsdom, though, so I don't know for sure.)

answered Feb 14, 2012 at 14:13

Joe White

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