如何在RequireJS（AMD）环境中访问node.js模块？

Question

I have a front-end SPA using RequireJS (2.1.14) as module system. It basically bootstrap and load Backbone.Marionette app.

In main.js :

require.config ({
  baseUrl: '/js',
  waitSeconds: 200,
  nodeRequire: require,
  paths: {
    jquery: '//cdn/jquery.min',        
    underscore:'//cdn/underscore-min',
    // more plugins
  },
  shim: {
      // shimming stuff
  }
});

require(['marionette',
    'vent',
    'config/template',
    'app',
    'routers/main'
   ],
function (Marionette,
      vent,
      Template,
      nrtApp
) {
'use strict';

nrtApp.module ('Public.Main', function (Main, nrtApp, Backbone,Marionette, $, _) {
  nrtApp.start ();

  // this is where the error is:
  requirejs (['config'], function (config) {
    if (typeof config !== 'undefined') {config.log ('ok!');}
  });

});

});

The issue is, I would like load some npm packages (eg npm install config) from RequireJS module. RequireJS can't seem to find npm node_modules directory which is sitting at different directory than RequireJS baseUrl directory .

Below is my directory structure:

my_project/
    app/
        public/
            js/
                main.js
                app.js
    node_modules/
        config/

Below is error message:

It tried to load module from baseUrl directory.

How can I access npm module to from RequireJS module system in my use case?

Answer 1

It is not possible to use RequireJS on the client (browser) to access files from node_modules. Files under node_modules must first be copied to a location that is accessible (under the public folder) before the client can access them. The documentation says RequireJS can access Node modules , but this only works for server-side JavaScript (when you want to use RequireJS-style module syntax in Node).

To use your config module in the client app, you must first transform it into a RequireJS-compatible module and copy it under public . This article explains how to automate this with package managers and build tools , and contains the quote that finally fixed my broken understanding of RequireJS + Node:

In order to use node modules on the browser you will need a build tool. This might bother you. If this is a deal breaker then by all means continue wasting your life copying and pasting code and arranging your script tags.