resquire

This npm module allows the user to perform more advanced requires, functioning similarly to namespaces as seen in other programming languages.

Installation

$ npm install resquire

Usage

Before we begin, resquire needs to be required: preferably from the root file of an application or module, as as soon as it has been required, its functionality is available from everywhere.

require('resquire')

Paths Relative to Root

First and foremost, resquire is slightly inspired by rooty and uses a similar syntax for requiring files relative to the root. Being able to require files relative to the root saves us the nightmare of having to manually type in relative paths.

The default require behavior remains the same, whereas all require paths are relative to the file they are required from:

const utils = require('../../../../../utils')

Beyond doubt, this is rarely a prefered behavior. By utilizing the '^' (caret) character, files can be required as relative from the root in resquire:

const utils = require('^utils')

The two examples above do the exact same thing (granted we are actually nested five levels in away from the root), but the second one is by all means quicker and less painful.

Requiring Multiple Modules at Once

The second, more unique feature resquire has to offer, is that multiple modules can be required at the same time, given they are located in the same directory.

This feature is especially useful if one decides to use the '^' (caret) syntax for all requires at all times (thus maintaining consistency).

Through the use of pattern matching, and a curlybrace-styled array in the path sent to the require function, multiple modules may be loaded and utilized at the same time:

const [hello, goodbye] = require('^greetings/{hello, goodbye}')

The array returned is filled from left to right from the inputs acquired in the curlybrace-styled array from the string. Since it returns an array, the names for the pattern matched values do not have to coincide with the names of the files.

Furthermore, this feature can be nested:

const [hello, goodbye, bye] = require('^greetings/{sincere/{hello, goodbye}, insincere/bye}')

As such, all files needed can theoretically be required at the same time, even though it most certainly would make a mess of things.

The braces can be used with a require that does not use the '^' (caret) feature.

Modifying the Root Directory

Sometimes it might be necessary to change the root directory that the ^ (caret) operator requires files from: for instance when writing tests, it might be better to separate the files so that source code goes under a lib/ directory whilst tests go under a test/ directory.

Normally, the root of the project would be where the package.json file is located:

const file = require('^file')

On the other hand, if that file we are trying to require is located under the lib/ directory, we can go ahead and add a file called resquire.json to the root of our application (next to the package.json file):

{
	"root": "lib"
}

Using the require function as above, the file will be required as ^lib/file rather than as ^file.

License

This module, and the code therein, is licensed under ISC.