I have a file called app.js:
let id = 0;
const Func = require('./func.js');
Func.myFunc();
console.log(id);
module.exports = {
id
};
Also I have another file called func.js:
const App = require('./app.js');
var myFunc = () => {
App.id = 100;
}
module.exports = {
myFunc
};
But console.log(id) returns: 0
What you are doing is termed circular dependencies. It is generally frowned upon and there is no allowed instance where this may be required. You're better off creating a third file that will use both of them...
Read this to have a better understanding:
https://nodejs.org/api/modules.html#modules_cycles
How to deal with cyclic dependencies in Node.js
Add another log like:
// app.js ...
console.log(module.exports);
module.exports = { id };
console.log(id);
to see that your code does work somehow, in the way that module.exports has an id property set, but you override that afterwards. Also the property of the export object has nothing todo with the id variable (well, the later gets copied into the first) so console.log will never log 100.
There are two problems with your piece of code:
the circular dependency
module.exports.id is not the same object as the variable id in app.js
In order to solve the first problem, you should create a third file where the variable will be declared and other modules will use that.
Now, to illustrate the second problem, look at the following.
// testModule.js
let variable = 0;
function get_variable() {
return variable;
}
module.exports = {variable, get_variable};
// app.js
const testModule = require('./testModule.js');
testModule.variable = 1234;
console.log(testModule.variable); // will print '1234'
console.log(testModule.get_variable()); // will print '0'
This little misunderstanding of modules, could lead to subtle nasty bugs. I consider that the best practice to solve this would be not to export the 'variable' property directly, but having getter/setter functions in the module, almost like transforming it into a class-like thing.
// testModule.js
let variable = 0;
function get_variable() {
return variable;
}
function set_variable(value) {
variable = value;
}
module.exports = {get_variable, set_variable};
I have this object that is being exported and imported by other files. Initially, the object is empty but during an event change ( a button clicked), the object is filled with keys and values but still remains empty in the files that imported it. How can I dynamically update an object and then export it with it's new values.
The code looks something like this:
firstFile.js
const anObject = {};
function clicked() {
anObject.firstName = "John";
anObject.lastName = "Doe" ;
}
module.exports = anObject;
secondFile.js
const importedObject = require("./firstFile");
console.log(importedObject) // always returns an empty object
You have to export and call the clicked function. Otherwise you are never actually updating that object.
For example.
firstFile.js
const anObject = {};
function clicked() {
anObject.firstName = "John";
anObject.lastName = "Doe" ;
}
module.exports = anObject;
module.exports.clicked = clicked;
secondFile.js
const importedObject = require("./firstFile");
console.log(importedObject.firstName) //undefined
importedObject.clicked()
console.log(importedObject.firstName) //John
Edit
After discussing further with the OP this is an Electron application. The code above works in Node.js. Electron might have a different setup and require extra steps to make this work.
I have the following code in one module :
export let person = {
name : "henry",
age : 5
}
in another module i import :
import {person} from './person'
When try to change person module:
person = {
name : "joe",
age : 20
}
I get a syntax Error.
But when i change any property on the person object it does so successfully
person.name = "joe" // works
person.age =50 //works
why is it so?
When you doing import {person} from './person' you are acctely getting const person with the exported object.
You cant change the content of your person object, but, becuse the only thing that is const in the case- is the refrence to object, you can change the content of the object itself.
For example:
const obj = {};
obj.stackoverflow = "Cool site"; // works!
obj = "stackoverflow"; //TypeError: Assignment to constant variable
My understanding of modules is that they are distinct from each other. However I don't understand why this code works then.
Lets say I have three files in the node.js framework. One "app.js" driver file and two modules:
Module "one.js" simply has a property called "name":
module.exports = {
name: null
}
Module "two.js" loads module "one.js" and declares a function that prints out the contents of the property "name" in the "one.js" module:
var one = require('./one');
module.exports = {
printname: function()
{
console.log(one.name);
}
}
Now the driver (app.js) imports both modules, sets the property of the first module, then calls the name printing function of the second:
var one = require("./one");
var two = require("./two");
two.printname();
one.name = "John";
two.printname();
When I run this, it prints "null" (fine, it should be empty), then "John" (not fine). How is the second module learning of the value in the first module?
My thought process is: when "two.js" loads its own version of "one.js", the property "name" should always be null. Why is this not the case?
Because you are modifying a property of an Object, and Objects are passed by reference, therefore all the instances that imported one.js got the same instance.
If you need different instances you should export a class and create an instance on demand.
Something like that:
//one.js
class Data {
constructor(data) {
this.data = data;
}
}
export.module = Data;
//two.js
const Data = require('./one');
const data = new Data('John');
one's export is a static object. It it not new every time.
You can change it like so:
module.exports = function() {
return { name: null }
}
Then:
var one = require("./one");
var willAlwaysBeNew = one();
willAlwaysBeNew.name = "john"
var willAlwaysBeNewToo = one();
console.log(willAlwaysBeNew.name) // john
console.log(willAlwaysBeNewToo.name) // null
Here are 2 files:
// main.js
require('./module');
console.log(name); // prints "foobar"
// module.js
name = "foobar";
When I don't have "var" it works. But when I have:
// module.js
var name = "foobar";
name will be undefined in main.js.
I have heard that global variables are bad and you better use "var" before the references. But is this a case where global variables are good?
Global variables are almost never a good thing (maybe an exception or two out there...). In this case, it looks like you really just want to export your "name" variable. E.g.,
// module.js
var name = "foobar";
// export it
exports.name = name;
Then, in main.js...
//main.js
// get a reference to your required module
var myModule = require('./module');
// name is a member of myModule due to the export above
var name = myModule.name;
I'm unable to find an scenario where a global var is the best option, of course you can have one, but take a look at these examples and you may find a better way to accomplish the same:
Scenario 1: Put the stuff in config files
You need some value that it's the same across the application, but it changes depending on the environment (production, dev or test), the mailer type as example, you'd need:
// File: config/environments/production.json
{
"mailerType": "SMTP",
"mailerConfig": {
"service": "Gmail",
....
}
and
// File: config/environments/test.json
{
"mailerType": "Stub",
"mailerConfig": {
"error": false
}
}
(make a similar config for dev too)
To decide which config will be loaded make a main config file (this will be used all over the application)
// File: config/config.js
var _ = require('underscore');
module.exports = _.extend(
require(__dirname + '/../config/environments/' + process.env.NODE_ENV + '.json') || {});
And now you can get the data like this:
// File: server.js
...
var config = require('./config/config');
...
mailer.setTransport(nodemailer.createTransport(config.mailerType, config.mailerConfig));
Scenario 2: Use a constants file
// File: constants.js
module.exports = {
appName: 'My neat app',
currentAPIVersion: 3
};
And use it this way
// File: config/routes.js
var constants = require('../constants');
module.exports = function(app, passport, auth) {
var apiroot = '/api/v' + constants.currentAPIVersion;
...
app.post(apiroot + '/users', users.create);
...
Scenario 3: Use a helper function to get/set the data
Not a big fan of this one, but at least you can track the use of the 'name' (citing the OP's example) and put validations in place.
// File: helpers/nameHelper.js
var _name = 'I shall not be null'
exports.getName = function() {
return _name;
};
exports.setName = function(name) {
//validate the name...
_name = name;
};
And use it
// File: controllers/users.js
var nameHelper = require('../helpers/nameHelper.js');
exports.create = function(req, res, next) {
var user = new User();
user.name = req.body.name || nameHelper.getName();
...
There could be a use case when there is no other solution than having a global var, but usually you can share the data in your app using one of these scenarios, if you are starting to use node.js (as I was sometime ago) try to organize the way you handle the data over there because it can get messy really quick.
If we need to share multiple variables use the below format
//module.js
let name='foobar';
let city='xyz';
let company='companyName';
module.exports={
name,
city,
company
}
Usage
// main.js
require('./modules');
console.log(name); // print 'foobar'
Save any variable that want to be shared as one object. Then pass it to loaded module so it could access the variable through object reference..
// main.js
var myModule = require('./module.js');
var shares = {value:123};
// Initialize module and pass the shareable object
myModule.init(shares);
// The value was changed from init2 on the other file
console.log(shares.value); // 789
On the other file..
// module.js
var shared = null;
function init2(){
console.log(shared.value); // 123
shared.value = 789;
}
module.exports = {
init:function(obj){
// Save the shared object on current module
shared = obj;
// Call something outside
init2();
}
}
a variable declared with or without the var keyword got attached to the global object. This is the basis for creating global variables in Node by declaring variables without the var keyword. While variables declared with the var keyword remain local to a module.
see this article for further understanding - https://www.hacksparrow.com/global-variables-in-node-js.html
Not a new approach but a bit optimized. Create a file with global variables and share them by export and require. In this example, Getter and Setter are more dynamic and global variables can be readonly. To define more globals, just add them to globals object.
global.js
const globals = {
myGlobal: {
value: 'can be anytype: String, Array, Object, ...'
},
aReadonlyGlobal: {
value: 'this value is readonly',
protected: true
},
dbConnection: {
value: 'mongoClient.db("database")'
},
myHelperFunction: {
value: function() { console.log('do help') }
},
}
exports.get = function(global) {
// return variable or false if not exists
return globals[global] && globals[global].value ? globals[global].value : false;
};
exports.set = function(global, value) {
// exists and is protected: return false
if (globals[global] && globals[global].protected && globals[global].protected === true)
return false;
// set global and return true
globals[global] = { value: value };
return true;
};
examples to get and set in any-other-file.js
const globals = require('./globals');
console.log(globals.get('myGlobal'));
// output: can be anytype: String, Array, Object, ...
globals.get('myHelperFunction')();
// output: do help
let myHelperFunction = globals.get('myHelperFunction');
myHelperFunction();
// output: do help
console.log(globals.set('myGlobal', 'my new value'));
// output: true
console.log(globals.get('myGlobal'));
// output: my new value
console.log(globals.set('aReadonlyGlobal', 'this shall not work'));
// output: false
console.log(globals.get('aReadonlyGlobal'));
// output: this value is readonly
console.log(globals.get('notExistingGlobal'));
// output: false
With a different opinion, I think the global variables might be the best choice if you are going to publish your code to npm, cuz you cannot be sure that all packages are using the same release of your code. So if you use a file for exporting a singleton object, it will cause issues here.
You can choose global, require.main or any other objects which are shared across files.
Otherwise, install your package as an optional dependency package can avoid this problem.
Please tell me if there are some better solutions.
If the target is the browser (by bundling Node code via Parcel.js or similar), you can simply set properties on the window object, and they become global variables:
window.variableToMakeGlobal = value;
Then you can access this variable from all modules (and more generally, from any Javascript context).