The way to create a module-based Node.js executable

Lots of my tasks embrace Node.js scripts to carry out setup or teardown steps. And whereas I might run all of them with the node binary (node create-thumbnails.js), I favor to take away the file extension and make the scripts executables (./create-thumbnails). This strategy saves characters, and makes me really feel like a hacker!

My steps to create an executable are:

• Take away the .js file extension (mv create-thumbnails.js create-thumbnails).
• Make the file executable (chmod 744 create-thumbnails).
• Add a shebang (#!/usr/bin/env node) to sign that the executing shell ought to use the node binary.

Et voilà, you simply created a Node.js executable!

This strategy has served me nicely for CommonJS-based scripts utilizing the require operate. But it surely’s 2022, and I deliberate to undertake ECMAScript modules in Node.js executables. Sadly, it isn’t that straightforward.

However what’s the issue?

There are 3 ways to allow ECMAScript modules in Node.js:

1. use the .mjs file extension
2. have a surrounding package deal.json with a "kind": "module" subject
3. name node with the --input-type=module flag

My executables ought to work and not using a file extension, which guidelines out the primary possibility. I additionally do not need to declare all recordsdata as module recordsdata or add a package deal.json, so the kind subject is out, too.

The --input-type flag seems to be promising at first, but it surely solely works for strings you pipe into the Node binary your self.

echo "import { mkdir } from 'node:fs/guarantees';" | node --input-type=module

Why’s there no flag to allow modules when operating a file?

I spent the final quarter-hour studying Node.js points and discussions concerning the matter, and I nonetheless cannot reply this query. If you wish to learn extra, this is a really lengthy GitHub dialogue on why such a flag is not out there but.

Knock your self out, the dialogue takes many turns, and people have sturdy opinions!

There are a number of methods to make ECMAScript module-based executables work. All of them include barely completely different spins however use the identical trick.

Axel recommends the next for UNIX environments.

':' 

import * as os from 'node:os';

const {username} = os.userInfo();
console.log(`Hey ${username}!`);

This snippet is wild! In brief, it does the next:

• the cat command reads the present file (the executable itself)
• the file content material is then piped into node with the --input-type flag
• all the unique parameters are handed over to node, too ($@)
• the node name’s exit code is caught and propagated to the executable

This instruction makes the file learn and pipe itself into the node binary as a result of there is no flag to allow modules. Wow! 🤯

As mentioned, this publish is just for my reference. Listed here are extra sources if you wish to study extra about different approaches or make it work on Home windows.