为什么主干不使用module.exports？

Question

It looks like it uses just plain

exports instead of module.exports

in this line here .

if (typeof exports !== 'undefined') {
    Backbone = exports;

However this tutorial shows the module.exports being used.

Answer 1

Why doesn't backbone use module.exports?

Because it doesn't have to. exports and module.exports refer to the same object :

In particular module.exports is the same as the exports object.

If you can save a couple of characters to type, then why not do it?

You are doing the same when you use document.getElementById instead of window.document.getElementById . It's more to type and doesn't add any benefit.

---

In the tutorial they are using module.exports because they want to show the difference between exporting a symbol why exports , ie

exports.foo = bar;

and overwriting the exports object

module.exports = bar;

for which you have to use module.exports ( exports = bar; would not work).

Answer 2

Think of module like window in a browser. In actuality, they're basically the same thing.

So, in the same way that window.location === location in javascript executed in the browser, module.exports === exports in a node environment.