It seems to be obvious, but I found myself a bit confused about when to use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6. For example, in the React-Native project I am working on, I have the following file and its content:
File initialState.js
var initialState = {
todo: {
todos: [
{id: 1, task: 'Finish Coding', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Do Laundry', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Shopping Groceries', completed: false},
]
}
};
export default initialState;
In the TodoReducer.js, I have to import it without curly braces:
import initialState from './todoInitialState';
If I enclose the initialState in curly braces, I get the following error for the following line of code:
Cannot read property todo of undefined
File TodoReducer.js:
export default function todos(state = initialState.todo, action) {
// ...
}
Similar errors also happen to my components with the curly braces. I was wondering when I should use curly braces for a single import, because obviously, when importing multiple component/modules, you have to enclose them in curly braces, which I know.
The Stack Overflow post at here does not answer my question, instead I am asking when I should or should not use curly braces for importing a single module, or I should never use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6 (this is apparently not the case, as I have seen single import with curly braces required).
This is a default import:
// B.js
import A from './A'
It only works if A has the default export:
// A.js
export default 42
In this case it doesn’t matter what name you assign to it when importing:
// B.js
import A from './A'
import MyA from './A'
import Something from './A'
Because it will always resolve to whatever is the default export of A.
This is a named import called A:
import { A } from './A'
It only works if A contains a named export called A:
export const A = 42
In this case the name matters because you’re importing a specific thing by its export name:
// B.js
import { A } from './A'
import { myA } from './A' // Doesn't work!
import { Something } from './A' // Doesn't work!
To make these work, you would add a corresponding named export to A:
// A.js
export const A = 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
A module can only have one default export, but as many named exports as you'd like (zero, one, two, or many). You can import them all together:
// B.js
import A, { myA, Something } from './A'
Here, we import the default export as A, and named exports called myA and Something, respectively.
// A.js
export default 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
We can also assign them all different names when importing:
// B.js
import X, { myA as myX, Something as XSomething } from './A'
The default exports tend to be used for whatever you normally expect to get from the module. The named exports tend to be used for utilities that might be handy, but aren’t always necessary. However it is up to you to choose how to export things: for example, a module might have no default export at all.
This is a great guide to ES modules, explaining the difference between default and named exports.
I would say there is also a starred notation for the import ES6 keyword worth mentioning.
If you try to console log Mix:
import * as Mix from "./A";
console.log(Mix);
You will get:
When should I use curly braces for ES6 import?
The brackets are golden when you need only specific components from the module, which makes smaller footprints for bundlers like webpack.
Dan Abramov's answer explains about the default exports and named exports.
Which to use?
Quoting David Herman:
ECMAScript 6 favors the single/default export style, and gives the sweetest syntax to importing the default. Importing named exports can and even should be slightly less concise.
However, in TypeScript named export is favored because of refactoring. Example, if you default export a class and rename it, the class name will change only in that file and not in the other references, with named exports class name will be renamed in all the references.
Named exports is also preferred for utilities.
Overall use whatever you prefer.
Additional
Default export is actually a named export with name default, so default export can be imported as:
import {default as Sample} from '../Sample.js';
If you think of import as just syntax sugar for Node.js modules, objects, and destructuring, I find it's pretty intuitive.
// bar.js
module = {};
module.exports = {
functionA: () => {},
functionB: ()=> {}
};
// Really all that is is this:
var module = {
exports: {
functionA, functionB
}
};
// Then, over in foo.js
// The whole exported object:
var fump = require('./bar.js'); //= { functionA, functionB }
// Or
import fump from './bar' // The same thing - object functionA and functionB properties
// Just one property of the object
var fump = require('./bar.js').functionA;
// Same as this, right?
var fump = { functionA, functionB }.functionA;
// And if we use ES6 destructuring:
var { functionA } = { functionA, functionB };
// We get same result
// So, in import syntax:
import { functionA } from './bar';
Summary ES6 modules:
Exports:
You have two types of exports:
Named exports
Default exports, a maximum one per module
Syntax:
// Module A
export const importantData_1 = 1;
export const importantData_2 = 2;
export default function foo () {}
Imports:
The type of export (i.e., named or default exports) affects how to import something:
For a named export we have to use curly braces and the exact name as the declaration (i.e. variable, function, or class) which was exported.
For a default export we can choose the name.
Syntax:
// Module B, imports from module A which is located in the same directory
import { importantData_1 , importantData_2 } from './A'; // For our named imports
// Syntax single named import:
// import { importantData_1 }
// For our default export (foo), the name choice is arbitrary
import ourFunction from './A';
Things of interest:
Use a comma-separated list within curly braces with the matching name of the export for named export.
Use a name of your choosing without curly braces for a default export.
Aliases:
Whenever you want to rename a named import this is possible via aliases. The syntax for this is the following:
import { importantData_1 as myData } from './A';
Now we have imported importantData_1, but the identifier is myData instead of importantData_1.
In order to understand the use of curly braces in import statements, first, you have to understand the concept of destructuring introduced in ES6
Object destructuring
var bodyBuilder = {
firstname: 'Kai',
lastname: 'Greene',
nickname: 'The Predator'
};
var {firstname, lastname} = bodyBuilder;
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Kai Greene
firstname = 'Morgan';
lastname = 'Aste';
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Morgan Aste
Array destructuring
var [firstGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame); // Gran Turismo
Using list matching
var [,secondGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(secondGame); // Burnout
Using the spread operator
var [firstGame, ...rest] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame);// Gran Turismo
console.log(rest);// ['Burnout', 'GTA'];
Now that we've got that out of our way, in ES6 you can export multiple modules. You can then make use of object destructuring like below.
Let's assume you have a module called module.js
export const printFirstname(firstname) => console.log(firstname);
export const printLastname(lastname) => console.log(lastname);
You would like to import the exported functions into index.js;
import {printFirstname, printLastname} from './module.js'
printFirstname('Taylor');
printLastname('Swift');
You can also use different variable names like so
import {printFirstname as pFname, printLastname as pLname} from './module.js'
pFname('Taylor');
pLanme('Swift');
Usually when you export a function you need to use the {}.
If you have
export const x
you use
import {x} from ''
If you use
export default const x
you need to use
import x from ''
Here you can change X to whatever variable you want.
The curly braces ({}) are used to import named bindings and the concept behind it is destructuring assignment
A simple demonstration of how import statement works with an example can be found in my own answer to a similar question at When do we use '{ }' in javascript imports?.
If there is any default export in the file, there isn't any need to use the curly braces in the import statement.
if there are more than one export in the file then we need to use curly braces in the import file so that which are necessary we can import.
You can find the complete difference when to use curly braces and default statement in the below YouTube video.
21. ES6 Modules. Different ways of using import/export, Default syntax in the code. ES6 | ES2015
The curly braces are used only for import when export is named. If the export is default then curly braces are not used for import.
For a default export we do not use { } when we import.
For example,
File player.js
export default vx;
File index.js
import vx from './player';
File index.js
File player.js
If we want to import everything that we export then we use *:
Related
It seems to be obvious, but I found myself a bit confused about when to use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6. For example, in the React-Native project I am working on, I have the following file and its content:
File initialState.js
var initialState = {
todo: {
todos: [
{id: 1, task: 'Finish Coding', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Do Laundry', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Shopping Groceries', completed: false},
]
}
};
export default initialState;
In the TodoReducer.js, I have to import it without curly braces:
import initialState from './todoInitialState';
If I enclose the initialState in curly braces, I get the following error for the following line of code:
Cannot read property todo of undefined
File TodoReducer.js:
export default function todos(state = initialState.todo, action) {
// ...
}
Similar errors also happen to my components with the curly braces. I was wondering when I should use curly braces for a single import, because obviously, when importing multiple component/modules, you have to enclose them in curly braces, which I know.
The Stack Overflow post at here does not answer my question, instead I am asking when I should or should not use curly braces for importing a single module, or I should never use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6 (this is apparently not the case, as I have seen single import with curly braces required).
This is a default import:
// B.js
import A from './A'
It only works if A has the default export:
// A.js
export default 42
In this case it doesn’t matter what name you assign to it when importing:
// B.js
import A from './A'
import MyA from './A'
import Something from './A'
Because it will always resolve to whatever is the default export of A.
This is a named import called A:
import { A } from './A'
It only works if A contains a named export called A:
export const A = 42
In this case the name matters because you’re importing a specific thing by its export name:
// B.js
import { A } from './A'
import { myA } from './A' // Doesn't work!
import { Something } from './A' // Doesn't work!
To make these work, you would add a corresponding named export to A:
// A.js
export const A = 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
A module can only have one default export, but as many named exports as you'd like (zero, one, two, or many). You can import them all together:
// B.js
import A, { myA, Something } from './A'
Here, we import the default export as A, and named exports called myA and Something, respectively.
// A.js
export default 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
We can also assign them all different names when importing:
// B.js
import X, { myA as myX, Something as XSomething } from './A'
The default exports tend to be used for whatever you normally expect to get from the module. The named exports tend to be used for utilities that might be handy, but aren’t always necessary. However it is up to you to choose how to export things: for example, a module might have no default export at all.
This is a great guide to ES modules, explaining the difference between default and named exports.
I would say there is also a starred notation for the import ES6 keyword worth mentioning.
If you try to console log Mix:
import * as Mix from "./A";
console.log(Mix);
You will get:
When should I use curly braces for ES6 import?
The brackets are golden when you need only specific components from the module, which makes smaller footprints for bundlers like webpack.
Dan Abramov's answer explains about the default exports and named exports.
Which to use?
Quoting David Herman:
ECMAScript 6 favors the single/default export style, and gives the sweetest syntax to importing the default. Importing named exports can and even should be slightly less concise.
However, in TypeScript named export is favored because of refactoring. Example, if you default export a class and rename it, the class name will change only in that file and not in the other references, with named exports class name will be renamed in all the references.
Named exports is also preferred for utilities.
Overall use whatever you prefer.
Additional
Default export is actually a named export with name default, so default export can be imported as:
import {default as Sample} from '../Sample.js';
If you think of import as just syntax sugar for Node.js modules, objects, and destructuring, I find it's pretty intuitive.
// bar.js
module = {};
module.exports = {
functionA: () => {},
functionB: ()=> {}
};
// Really all that is is this:
var module = {
exports: {
functionA, functionB
}
};
// Then, over in foo.js
// The whole exported object:
var fump = require('./bar.js'); //= { functionA, functionB }
// Or
import fump from './bar' // The same thing - object functionA and functionB properties
// Just one property of the object
var fump = require('./bar.js').functionA;
// Same as this, right?
var fump = { functionA, functionB }.functionA;
// And if we use ES6 destructuring:
var { functionA } = { functionA, functionB };
// We get same result
// So, in import syntax:
import { functionA } from './bar';
Summary ES6 modules:
Exports:
You have two types of exports:
Named exports
Default exports, a maximum one per module
Syntax:
// Module A
export const importantData_1 = 1;
export const importantData_2 = 2;
export default function foo () {}
Imports:
The type of export (i.e., named or default exports) affects how to import something:
For a named export we have to use curly braces and the exact name as the declaration (i.e. variable, function, or class) which was exported.
For a default export we can choose the name.
Syntax:
// Module B, imports from module A which is located in the same directory
import { importantData_1 , importantData_2 } from './A'; // For our named imports
// Syntax single named import:
// import { importantData_1 }
// For our default export (foo), the name choice is arbitrary
import ourFunction from './A';
Things of interest:
Use a comma-separated list within curly braces with the matching name of the export for named export.
Use a name of your choosing without curly braces for a default export.
Aliases:
Whenever you want to rename a named import this is possible via aliases. The syntax for this is the following:
import { importantData_1 as myData } from './A';
Now we have imported importantData_1, but the identifier is myData instead of importantData_1.
In order to understand the use of curly braces in import statements, first, you have to understand the concept of destructuring introduced in ES6
Object destructuring
var bodyBuilder = {
firstname: 'Kai',
lastname: 'Greene',
nickname: 'The Predator'
};
var {firstname, lastname} = bodyBuilder;
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Kai Greene
firstname = 'Morgan';
lastname = 'Aste';
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Morgan Aste
Array destructuring
var [firstGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame); // Gran Turismo
Using list matching
var [,secondGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(secondGame); // Burnout
Using the spread operator
var [firstGame, ...rest] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame);// Gran Turismo
console.log(rest);// ['Burnout', 'GTA'];
Now that we've got that out of our way, in ES6 you can export multiple modules. You can then make use of object destructuring like below.
Let's assume you have a module called module.js
export const printFirstname(firstname) => console.log(firstname);
export const printLastname(lastname) => console.log(lastname);
You would like to import the exported functions into index.js;
import {printFirstname, printLastname} from './module.js'
printFirstname('Taylor');
printLastname('Swift');
You can also use different variable names like so
import {printFirstname as pFname, printLastname as pLname} from './module.js'
pFname('Taylor');
pLanme('Swift');
Usually when you export a function you need to use the {}.
If you have
export const x
you use
import {x} from ''
If you use
export default const x
you need to use
import x from ''
Here you can change X to whatever variable you want.
The curly braces ({}) are used to import named bindings and the concept behind it is destructuring assignment
A simple demonstration of how import statement works with an example can be found in my own answer to a similar question at When do we use '{ }' in javascript imports?.
If there is any default export in the file, there isn't any need to use the curly braces in the import statement.
if there are more than one export in the file then we need to use curly braces in the import file so that which are necessary we can import.
You can find the complete difference when to use curly braces and default statement in the below YouTube video.
21. ES6 Modules. Different ways of using import/export, Default syntax in the code. ES6 | ES2015
The curly braces are used only for import when export is named. If the export is default then curly braces are not used for import.
For a default export we do not use { } when we import.
For example,
File player.js
export default vx;
File index.js
import vx from './player';
File index.js
File player.js
If we want to import everything that we export then we use *:
It seems to be obvious, but I found myself a bit confused about when to use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6. For example, in the React-Native project I am working on, I have the following file and its content:
File initialState.js
var initialState = {
todo: {
todos: [
{id: 1, task: 'Finish Coding', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Do Laundry', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Shopping Groceries', completed: false},
]
}
};
export default initialState;
In the TodoReducer.js, I have to import it without curly braces:
import initialState from './todoInitialState';
If I enclose the initialState in curly braces, I get the following error for the following line of code:
Cannot read property todo of undefined
File TodoReducer.js:
export default function todos(state = initialState.todo, action) {
// ...
}
Similar errors also happen to my components with the curly braces. I was wondering when I should use curly braces for a single import, because obviously, when importing multiple component/modules, you have to enclose them in curly braces, which I know.
The Stack Overflow post at here does not answer my question, instead I am asking when I should or should not use curly braces for importing a single module, or I should never use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6 (this is apparently not the case, as I have seen single import with curly braces required).
This is a default import:
// B.js
import A from './A'
It only works if A has the default export:
// A.js
export default 42
In this case it doesn’t matter what name you assign to it when importing:
// B.js
import A from './A'
import MyA from './A'
import Something from './A'
Because it will always resolve to whatever is the default export of A.
This is a named import called A:
import { A } from './A'
It only works if A contains a named export called A:
export const A = 42
In this case the name matters because you’re importing a specific thing by its export name:
// B.js
import { A } from './A'
import { myA } from './A' // Doesn't work!
import { Something } from './A' // Doesn't work!
To make these work, you would add a corresponding named export to A:
// A.js
export const A = 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
A module can only have one default export, but as many named exports as you'd like (zero, one, two, or many). You can import them all together:
// B.js
import A, { myA, Something } from './A'
Here, we import the default export as A, and named exports called myA and Something, respectively.
// A.js
export default 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
We can also assign them all different names when importing:
// B.js
import X, { myA as myX, Something as XSomething } from './A'
The default exports tend to be used for whatever you normally expect to get from the module. The named exports tend to be used for utilities that might be handy, but aren’t always necessary. However it is up to you to choose how to export things: for example, a module might have no default export at all.
This is a great guide to ES modules, explaining the difference between default and named exports.
I would say there is also a starred notation for the import ES6 keyword worth mentioning.
If you try to console log Mix:
import * as Mix from "./A";
console.log(Mix);
You will get:
When should I use curly braces for ES6 import?
The brackets are golden when you need only specific components from the module, which makes smaller footprints for bundlers like webpack.
Dan Abramov's answer explains about the default exports and named exports.
Which to use?
Quoting David Herman:
ECMAScript 6 favors the single/default export style, and gives the sweetest syntax to importing the default. Importing named exports can and even should be slightly less concise.
However, in TypeScript named export is favored because of refactoring. Example, if you default export a class and rename it, the class name will change only in that file and not in the other references, with named exports class name will be renamed in all the references.
Named exports is also preferred for utilities.
Overall use whatever you prefer.
Additional
Default export is actually a named export with name default, so default export can be imported as:
import {default as Sample} from '../Sample.js';
If you think of import as just syntax sugar for Node.js modules, objects, and destructuring, I find it's pretty intuitive.
// bar.js
module = {};
module.exports = {
functionA: () => {},
functionB: ()=> {}
};
// Really all that is is this:
var module = {
exports: {
functionA, functionB
}
};
// Then, over in foo.js
// The whole exported object:
var fump = require('./bar.js'); //= { functionA, functionB }
// Or
import fump from './bar' // The same thing - object functionA and functionB properties
// Just one property of the object
var fump = require('./bar.js').functionA;
// Same as this, right?
var fump = { functionA, functionB }.functionA;
// And if we use ES6 destructuring:
var { functionA } = { functionA, functionB };
// We get same result
// So, in import syntax:
import { functionA } from './bar';
Summary ES6 modules:
Exports:
You have two types of exports:
Named exports
Default exports, a maximum one per module
Syntax:
// Module A
export const importantData_1 = 1;
export const importantData_2 = 2;
export default function foo () {}
Imports:
The type of export (i.e., named or default exports) affects how to import something:
For a named export we have to use curly braces and the exact name as the declaration (i.e. variable, function, or class) which was exported.
For a default export we can choose the name.
Syntax:
// Module B, imports from module A which is located in the same directory
import { importantData_1 , importantData_2 } from './A'; // For our named imports
// Syntax single named import:
// import { importantData_1 }
// For our default export (foo), the name choice is arbitrary
import ourFunction from './A';
Things of interest:
Use a comma-separated list within curly braces with the matching name of the export for named export.
Use a name of your choosing without curly braces for a default export.
Aliases:
Whenever you want to rename a named import this is possible via aliases. The syntax for this is the following:
import { importantData_1 as myData } from './A';
Now we have imported importantData_1, but the identifier is myData instead of importantData_1.
In order to understand the use of curly braces in import statements, first, you have to understand the concept of destructuring introduced in ES6
Object destructuring
var bodyBuilder = {
firstname: 'Kai',
lastname: 'Greene',
nickname: 'The Predator'
};
var {firstname, lastname} = bodyBuilder;
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Kai Greene
firstname = 'Morgan';
lastname = 'Aste';
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Morgan Aste
Array destructuring
var [firstGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame); // Gran Turismo
Using list matching
var [,secondGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(secondGame); // Burnout
Using the spread operator
var [firstGame, ...rest] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame);// Gran Turismo
console.log(rest);// ['Burnout', 'GTA'];
Now that we've got that out of our way, in ES6 you can export multiple modules. You can then make use of object destructuring like below.
Let's assume you have a module called module.js
export const printFirstname(firstname) => console.log(firstname);
export const printLastname(lastname) => console.log(lastname);
You would like to import the exported functions into index.js;
import {printFirstname, printLastname} from './module.js'
printFirstname('Taylor');
printLastname('Swift');
You can also use different variable names like so
import {printFirstname as pFname, printLastname as pLname} from './module.js'
pFname('Taylor');
pLanme('Swift');
Usually when you export a function you need to use the {}.
If you have
export const x
you use
import {x} from ''
If you use
export default const x
you need to use
import x from ''
Here you can change X to whatever variable you want.
The curly braces ({}) are used to import named bindings and the concept behind it is destructuring assignment
A simple demonstration of how import statement works with an example can be found in my own answer to a similar question at When do we use '{ }' in javascript imports?.
If there is any default export in the file, there isn't any need to use the curly braces in the import statement.
if there are more than one export in the file then we need to use curly braces in the import file so that which are necessary we can import.
You can find the complete difference when to use curly braces and default statement in the below YouTube video.
21. ES6 Modules. Different ways of using import/export, Default syntax in the code. ES6 | ES2015
The curly braces are used only for import when export is named. If the export is default then curly braces are not used for import.
For a default export we do not use { } when we import.
For example,
File player.js
export default vx;
File index.js
import vx from './player';
File index.js
File player.js
If we want to import everything that we export then we use *:
I have referred all the questions in stackoverflow.
But none of the suggested why and when to use default export.
I just saw that default can be metioned "When there is only one export in a file"
Any other reason for using default export in es6 modules?
Some differences that might make you choose one over the other:
Named Exports
Can export multiple values
MUST use the exported name when importing
Default Exports
Export a single value
Can use any name when importing
This article does a nice job of explaining when it would be a good idea to use one over the other.
It's somewhat a matter of opinion, but there are some objective aspects to it:
You can have only one default export in a module, whereas you can have as many named exports as you like.
If you provide a default export, the programmer using it has to come up with a name for it. This can lead to inconsistency in a codebase, where Mary does
import example from "./example";
...but Joe does
import ex from "./example";
In contrast, with a named export, the programmer doesn't have to think about what to call it unless there's a conflict with another identifier in their module.¹ It's just
import { example } from "./example";
With a named export, the person importing it has to specify the name of what they're importing. They get a nice early error if they try to import something that doesn't exist.
If you consistently only use named exports, programmers importing from modules in the project don't have to think about whether what they want is the default or a named export.
¹ If there is a conflict (for instance, you want example from two different modules), you can use as to rename:
import { example as widgetExample } from "./widget/example";
import { example as gadgetExample } from "./gadget/example";
You should almost always favour named exports, default exports have many downsides
Problems with default exports:
Difficult to refactor or ensure consistency since they can be named anything in the codebase other than what its actually called
Difficult to analyze by automated tools or provide code intellisense and autocompletion
They break tree shaking as instead of importing the single function you want to use you're forcing webpack to import the entire file with whatever other dead code it has leading to bigger bundle sizes
You can't export more than a single export per file
You lose faster/direct access to imports
checkout these articles for a more detailed explanation:
https://blog.neufund.org/why-we-have-banned-default-exports-and-you-should-do-the-same-d51fdc2cf2ad
https://humanwhocodes.com/blog/2019/01/stop-using-default-exports-javascript-module/
https://rajeshnaroth.medium.com/avoid-es6-default-exports-a24142978a7a
With named exports, one can have multiple named exports per file. Then import the specific exports they want surrounded in braces. The name of imported module has to be the same as the name of the exported module.
// imports
// ex. importing a single named export
import { MyComponent } from "./MyComponent";
// ex. importing multiple named exports
import { MyComponent, MyComponent2 } from "./MyComponent";
// ex. giving a named import a different name by using "as":
import { MyComponent2 as MyNewComponent } from "./MyComponent";
// exports from ./MyComponent.js file
export const MyComponent = () => {}
export const MyComponent2 = () => {}
You can also alias named imports, assign a new name to a named export as you import it, allowing you to resolve naming collisions, or give the export a more informative name.
import MyComponent as MainComponent from "./MyComponent";
You can also Import all the named exports onto an object:
import * as MainComponents from "./MyComponent";
// use MainComponents.MyComponent and MainComponents.MyComponent2 here
One can have only one default export per file. When we import we have to specify a name and import like:
// import
import MyDefaultComponent from "./MyDefaultExport";
// export
const MyComponent = () => {}
export default MyComponent;
The naming of import is completely independent in default export and we can use any name we like.
From MDN:
Named exports are useful to export several values. During the import, one will be able to use the same name to refer to the corresponding value.
Concerning the default export, there is only a single default export per module. A default export can be a function, a class, an object or anything else. This value is to be considered as the “main” exported value since it will be the simplest to import.
There aren't any definitive rules, but there are some conventions that people use to make it easier to structure or share code.
When there is only one export in the entire file, there is no reason to make it named.
Also, when your module has one main purpose, it could make sense to make that your default export. In those cases you can extra named exports
In react for example, React is the default export, since that is often the only part that you need. You don't always Component, so that's a named export that you can import when needed.
import React, {Component} from 'react';
In the other cases where one module has multiple equal (or mostly equal) exports, it's better to use named exports
import { blue, red, green } from 'colors';
1st Method:-
export foo; //so that this can be used in other file
import {foo} from 'abc'; //importing data/fun from module
2nd Method:-
export default foo; //used in one file
import foo from 'blah'; //importing data/fun from module
3rd Method:-
export = foo;
import * as foo from 'blah';
The above methods roughly compile to the following syntax below:-
//all export methods
exports.foo = foo; //1st method
exports['default'] = foo; //2nd method
module.exports = foo; //3rd method
//all import methods
var foo = require('abc').foo; //1st method
var foo = require('abc')['default']; //2nd method
var foo = require('abc'); //3rd method
For more information, visit to Default keyword explaination
Note:- There can be only one export default in one file.
So whenever we are exporting only 1 function, then it's better to use default keyword while exporting
EASIEST DEFINITION TO CLEAR CONFUSIONS
Let us understand the export methods, first, so that we can analyze ourselves when to use what, or why do we do what we do.
Named exports: One or more exports per module. When there are more than one exports in a module, each named export must be restructured while importing. Since there could be either export in the same module and the compiler will not know which one is required unless we mention it.
//Named export , exporting:
export const xyz = () =>{
}
// while importing this
import {xyx} from 'path'
or
const {xyz} = require(path)
The braces are just restructuring the export object.
On the other hand , default exports are only one export per module , so they are pretty plain.
//exporting default
const xyz =() >{
};
export default xyz
//Importing
import xyz from 'path'
or
const xyz = require(path)
I hope this was pretty simple to understand, and by now you can understand why you import React modules within braces...
Named Export: (export)
With named exports, one can have multiple named exports per file. Then import the specific exports they want surrounded in braces. The name of imported module has to be the same as the name of the exported module.
// imports
// ex. importing a single named export
import { MyComponent } from "./MyComponent";
// ex. importing multiple named exports
import { MyComponent, MyComponent2 } from "./MyComponent";
// ex. giving a named import a different name by using "as":
import { MyComponent2 as MyNewComponent } from "./MyComponent";
// exports from ./MyComponent.js file
export const MyComponent = () => {}
export const MyComponent2 = () => {}
Import all the named exports onto an object:
// use MainComponents.MyComponent and MainComponents.MyComponent2 here
import * as MainComponents from "./MyComponent";
Default Export: (export default)
One can have only one default export per file. When we import we have to specify a name and import like:
// import
import MyDefaultComponent from "./MyDefaultExport";
// export
const MyComponent = () => {}
export default MyComponent;
Note: The naming of import is completely independent in default export and we can use any name we like.
Here's a great answer that explains default and named imports in ES6
I'm new to ES6 and a bit confused with the way classes are exported and imported. It seems many different notations are valid but work differently.
I wrote a class like this in src/web-api.js:
class WebApi {
// ...
}
export { WebApi };
Which I import with:
import { WebApi } from './src/web-api.js'
This works fine, but before I've tried the same thing without curly brackets and it didn't work:
export WebApi; // Tells me '{' expected
import WebApi from './src/web-api.js'; // No syntax error but WebApi is undefined
Even though on the MDN documentation for export, the notation export expression; appears to be valid.
Likewise, this is how React is imported in my application file:
import React, { Component } from 'react';
Why is one class with and another one without curly brackets? In general, how can I tell when to use and not to use curly brackets?
ES6 offers many ways to manage modules through import/export. But there are basically two main strategies:
Default export/import with export default and import module from './module'
Multiple exports/imports with export and import {member} from './module' or import * as module from './module'
(Mixing both is possible but not recommended.)
Module to export/import
function foo() {
console.log('Foo');
}
function bar() {
console.log('Bar');
}
Strategy #1: Default export/import
Export (module.js)
function foo() {
console.log('Foo');
}
function bar() {
console.log('Bar');
}
export default {foo, bar};
/*
{foo, bar} is just an ES6 object literal that could be written like so:
export default {
foo: foo,
bar: bar
};
It is the legacy of the "Revealing Module pattern"...
*/
Import (main.js)
import module from './module';
module.foo(); // Foo
module.bar(); // Bar
Strategy #2: Multiple exports/imports
Export (module.js)
export function foo() {
console.log('Foo');
}
export function bar() {
console.log('Bar');
}
Import (main.js)
import {foo, bar} from './module';
foo(); // Foo
bar(); // Bar
/*
This is valid too:
import * as module from './module';
module.foo(); // Foo
module.bar(); // Bar
*/
As I said previously, ES6 modules are much more complex than that. For further information, I recommend you to read Exploring ES6 by Dr. Axel Rauschmayer, especially this chapter: http://exploringjs.com/es6/ch_modules.html.
In your case, if you import from the src/web-api.js file without the curly braces, you should have anexport default something in the src/webfile-api.js
Without curly braces
class WebApi {...};
export default WebApi;
In your file
import WebApi from './src/web-api.js'
// Here, the element withexport default in the src/web-api.js file should be imported without the curly braces anywhere.
PS: It must have only one export default for each file.
With curly braces
export { WebApi }
In your file
import {WebApi} from './src/web-api.js'
Dan Abramov explains clearly the export/import methods in ES6 at this answer.
When should I use curly braces for ES6 import?
The braces are just syntactic sugar. It will use the variable name as the object key, for example:
const a = 1;
const test = {a}; // same as {a: 1};
It can also be used to destructure the object by its variable name. It will check if the object has any properties with the same value as the variable name and then output a value if one is found:
const test = {a: 1};
const {a} = test; // a = 1
In modules, the general use case is that when you import there is usually braces since modules get imported as MODULE.function or MODULE.class. It'd be more intuitive to look at exports first:
For exporting, it's using the syntactic sugar I mentioned before - you're exporting it as an object. When you do export { WebApi }; what you're really doing is export {WebApi: WebApi}. This makes it easier to access things as you can just do 'MODULE.WebApi' now to access the class instead of having it pollute the namespace unnecessarily. This is also required for all exports!
Moving on to imports, what you're doing in the import statements is essentially destructuring the module object and picking a property to save into a variable of the same name. In your case, when you do import {WebApi} from './src/web-api.js' you'd be doing something like import WebApi = web-api.js['WebApi'] from './src/web-api.js' (this isn't valid syntax but just to show you what it's doing in the background). This is also required to properly import module functions/classes. There is also the option of importing the whole module, just as NodeJS does: import * as ModuleName from './src/module.js'. This will put all of exported functions/classes into the ModuleName object so that it can be treated as a normal module.
However, if a module has a default export, braces are not not needed for import and export. For example, react probably has export default React in its files - that's why there doesn't need to be braces around it when you do import React from 'react'
Hope I wasn't too confusing and let me know if I can clarify anything!
It seems to be obvious, but I found myself a bit confused about when to use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6. For example, in the React-Native project I am working on, I have the following file and its content:
File initialState.js
var initialState = {
todo: {
todos: [
{id: 1, task: 'Finish Coding', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Do Laundry', completed: false},
{id: 2, task: 'Shopping Groceries', completed: false},
]
}
};
export default initialState;
In the TodoReducer.js, I have to import it without curly braces:
import initialState from './todoInitialState';
If I enclose the initialState in curly braces, I get the following error for the following line of code:
Cannot read property todo of undefined
File TodoReducer.js:
export default function todos(state = initialState.todo, action) {
// ...
}
Similar errors also happen to my components with the curly braces. I was wondering when I should use curly braces for a single import, because obviously, when importing multiple component/modules, you have to enclose them in curly braces, which I know.
The Stack Overflow post at here does not answer my question, instead I am asking when I should or should not use curly braces for importing a single module, or I should never use curly braces for importing a single module in ES6 (this is apparently not the case, as I have seen single import with curly braces required).
This is a default import:
// B.js
import A from './A'
It only works if A has the default export:
// A.js
export default 42
In this case it doesn’t matter what name you assign to it when importing:
// B.js
import A from './A'
import MyA from './A'
import Something from './A'
Because it will always resolve to whatever is the default export of A.
This is a named import called A:
import { A } from './A'
It only works if A contains a named export called A:
export const A = 42
In this case the name matters because you’re importing a specific thing by its export name:
// B.js
import { A } from './A'
import { myA } from './A' // Doesn't work!
import { Something } from './A' // Doesn't work!
To make these work, you would add a corresponding named export to A:
// A.js
export const A = 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
A module can only have one default export, but as many named exports as you'd like (zero, one, two, or many). You can import them all together:
// B.js
import A, { myA, Something } from './A'
Here, we import the default export as A, and named exports called myA and Something, respectively.
// A.js
export default 42
export const myA = 43
export const Something = 44
We can also assign them all different names when importing:
// B.js
import X, { myA as myX, Something as XSomething } from './A'
The default exports tend to be used for whatever you normally expect to get from the module. The named exports tend to be used for utilities that might be handy, but aren’t always necessary. However it is up to you to choose how to export things: for example, a module might have no default export at all.
This is a great guide to ES modules, explaining the difference between default and named exports.
I would say there is also a starred notation for the import ES6 keyword worth mentioning.
If you try to console log Mix:
import * as Mix from "./A";
console.log(Mix);
You will get:
When should I use curly braces for ES6 import?
The brackets are golden when you need only specific components from the module, which makes smaller footprints for bundlers like webpack.
Dan Abramov's answer explains about the default exports and named exports.
Which to use?
Quoting David Herman:
ECMAScript 6 favors the single/default export style, and gives the sweetest syntax to importing the default. Importing named exports can and even should be slightly less concise.
However, in TypeScript named export is favored because of refactoring. Example, if you default export a class and rename it, the class name will change only in that file and not in the other references, with named exports class name will be renamed in all the references.
Named exports is also preferred for utilities.
Overall use whatever you prefer.
Additional
Default export is actually a named export with name default, so default export can be imported as:
import {default as Sample} from '../Sample.js';
If you think of import as just syntax sugar for Node.js modules, objects, and destructuring, I find it's pretty intuitive.
// bar.js
module = {};
module.exports = {
functionA: () => {},
functionB: ()=> {}
};
// Really all that is is this:
var module = {
exports: {
functionA, functionB
}
};
// Then, over in foo.js
// The whole exported object:
var fump = require('./bar.js'); //= { functionA, functionB }
// Or
import fump from './bar' // The same thing - object functionA and functionB properties
// Just one property of the object
var fump = require('./bar.js').functionA;
// Same as this, right?
var fump = { functionA, functionB }.functionA;
// And if we use ES6 destructuring:
var { functionA } = { functionA, functionB };
// We get same result
// So, in import syntax:
import { functionA } from './bar';
Summary ES6 modules:
Exports:
You have two types of exports:
Named exports
Default exports, a maximum one per module
Syntax:
// Module A
export const importantData_1 = 1;
export const importantData_2 = 2;
export default function foo () {}
Imports:
The type of export (i.e., named or default exports) affects how to import something:
For a named export we have to use curly braces and the exact name as the declaration (i.e. variable, function, or class) which was exported.
For a default export we can choose the name.
Syntax:
// Module B, imports from module A which is located in the same directory
import { importantData_1 , importantData_2 } from './A'; // For our named imports
// Syntax single named import:
// import { importantData_1 }
// For our default export (foo), the name choice is arbitrary
import ourFunction from './A';
Things of interest:
Use a comma-separated list within curly braces with the matching name of the export for named export.
Use a name of your choosing without curly braces for a default export.
Aliases:
Whenever you want to rename a named import this is possible via aliases. The syntax for this is the following:
import { importantData_1 as myData } from './A';
Now we have imported importantData_1, but the identifier is myData instead of importantData_1.
In order to understand the use of curly braces in import statements, first, you have to understand the concept of destructuring introduced in ES6
Object destructuring
var bodyBuilder = {
firstname: 'Kai',
lastname: 'Greene',
nickname: 'The Predator'
};
var {firstname, lastname} = bodyBuilder;
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Kai Greene
firstname = 'Morgan';
lastname = 'Aste';
console.log(firstname, lastname); // Morgan Aste
Array destructuring
var [firstGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame); // Gran Turismo
Using list matching
var [,secondGame] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(secondGame); // Burnout
Using the spread operator
var [firstGame, ...rest] = ['Gran Turismo', 'Burnout', 'GTA'];
console.log(firstGame);// Gran Turismo
console.log(rest);// ['Burnout', 'GTA'];
Now that we've got that out of our way, in ES6 you can export multiple modules. You can then make use of object destructuring like below.
Let's assume you have a module called module.js
export const printFirstname(firstname) => console.log(firstname);
export const printLastname(lastname) => console.log(lastname);
You would like to import the exported functions into index.js;
import {printFirstname, printLastname} from './module.js'
printFirstname('Taylor');
printLastname('Swift');
You can also use different variable names like so
import {printFirstname as pFname, printLastname as pLname} from './module.js'
pFname('Taylor');
pLanme('Swift');
Usually when you export a function you need to use the {}.
If you have
export const x
you use
import {x} from ''
If you use
export default const x
you need to use
import x from ''
Here you can change X to whatever variable you want.
The curly braces ({}) are used to import named bindings and the concept behind it is destructuring assignment
A simple demonstration of how import statement works with an example can be found in my own answer to a similar question at When do we use '{ }' in javascript imports?.
If there is any default export in the file, there isn't any need to use the curly braces in the import statement.
if there are more than one export in the file then we need to use curly braces in the import file so that which are necessary we can import.
You can find the complete difference when to use curly braces and default statement in the below YouTube video.
21. ES6 Modules. Different ways of using import/export, Default syntax in the code. ES6 | ES2015
The curly braces are used only for import when export is named. If the export is default then curly braces are not used for import.
For a default export we do not use { } when we import.
For example,
File player.js
export default vx;
File index.js
import vx from './player';
File index.js
File player.js
If we want to import everything that we export then we use *: