如何将第三方软件包导入Meteor？

Question

I'm trying to repackage Gibberish.js for Meteor, and so far nothing is working. The package has its own npm dependencies. I first tried to load it as a git submodule. I had this in my package.js:

Npm.depends({
    "connect": "2.25.7",
    "serve-static": "1.5.3",
    "uglify-js": "2.4.15"
});

Package.onUse(function(api) {
  api.versionsFrom('1.1.0.2');
  api.addFiles('build/gibberish.js', ['client','server']);
});

It complained that Gibberish.init() wasn't a function, so I'm guessing it didn't see the package. So then I realized gibberish-dsp is its own npm package, so I tried to include it via npm. I used this:

package.js

Npm.depends({
    "connect": "2.25.7",
    "serve-static": "1.5.3",
    "uglify-js": "2.4.15",
    "gibberish-dsp": "2.3.2"
});

Package.onUse(function (api) {

  api.addFiles([
    'lib/gibberish.js',
  ], ['server']);

  api.export([
    'gibberish'
  ]);

lib/gibberish.js:

juice = Npm.require('gibberish-dsp');

That gave it a callback error. I guess Meteor can't do callbacks with third party packages?! So I tried meteorhacks:npm , which apparently fixes the callback error. And I tried this:

  if (Meteor.isServer) {

    console.log('server');
      var gibberish = new Gibberish();
      var init = Async.wrap(init);
      gibberish.init();

     }

});

And with my gibberish submodule in my /packages/ folder, I get a SyntaxError: Unexpected token Y .

UPDATE: The SyntaxError is referring to "Bad HTML" in the gibberish package. Apparently it's trying to read it as a Meteor HTML file (ie without DOCTYPE etc.) I don't want to change every single file in the package!

I've probably spent about 20 hours on this already. Why is it so hard to load an external library?!?! What else can I do? I want to like Meteor but I'm ready to give up.

Answer 1

Have you added it to your Meteor build's active package list? The package won't be used unless it's listed there.

$ meteor add user:gibberish

Answer 2

I don't want to change every single file in the package!

Why not?

1. Fork the existing Node package.
2. Use a regex replace in all its HTML files to make them fit Meteor.
3. Only update the compatible parts to keep up with the Node package.

Update: It appears you've accepted this answer :

The simplest (non-packaged) way to get this working is using client/compatibility .

1. Remove any homebrew packages you are using to try to make this work (or start afresh with a new project).
2. Build gibberish.js in the recommended way.
3. Copy gibberish.js into client/compatibility .

You now have access to the Gibberish object in your client code.