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JavaScript

Posted by Sam Lillicrap
Sam Lillicrap
12,127 Points

Node.js express modules - requiring modules from app.js

I'm having a hard time splitting out my node.js app using express. Here's my structure

     app.js
     node_modules
     package.json
     routes
       -> index.js
       -> anotherfile.js
       -> yetanotherfile.js
  1. so app.js requires ./routes
  2. the index.js of ./routes requires anotherfile.js & yetanotherfile.js

This is all well and good, but how do I access node_modules I've declared in app.js?

For example, I have declared this module in app.js var shopifyAPI = require('shopify-node-api'); But I want to use it down in anotherfile.js

How do I do this?

Many thanks

1 Answer

Catherine Gracey
Catherine Gracey
11,521 Points
Catherine Gracey
Catherine Gracey
11,521 Points

You need to require it in each node file that you want to use it in. This is how the express generator sets it up:

app.js:

var express = require('express');
var routes = require('./routes/index');

index.js:

var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();

router.get('/', function(req, res, next) {
  res.send('respond with a resource');
});

module.exports = router;

express is essentially a local variable in both files. You can access the router variable from index.js in app.js thanks to the module.exports = router line. In your instance, you need to have var shopifyAPI = require('shopify-node-api') in anotherfile.js and make sure you use module.exports = exportedStuff to give your other files access to whatever this file does within the module.