Node (SyntaxError: unexpected identifier ) js files in terminal

Question

When I try running a javascript file through the terminal with node I get "SyntaxError: unexpected identifier"

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Here is my code saved as example.js

 console.log('hello world'); 

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Here is what is happening in my terminal.

 > Thoms-MacBook-Pro:desktop thomvaladez$ node > console.log('hi'); hi undefined > node example.js SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier at Object.exports.createScript (vm.js:44:10) at REPLServer.defaultEval (repl.js:117:23) at bound (domain.js:254:14) at REPLServer.runBound [as eval] (domain.js:267:12) at REPLServer.<anonymous> (repl.js:279:12) at REPLServer.emit (events.js:107:17) at REPLServer.Interface._onLine (readline.js:214:10) at REPLServer.Interface._line (readline.js:553:8) at REPLServer.Interface._ttyWrite (readline.js:830:14) at ReadStream.onkeypress (readline.js:109:10) 

Node responds to commands and code, but I cannot open files. Does anyone know what the issue may be?

Answer 1

Most people run that command outside of the node session itself.

> Thoms-MacBook-Pro:desktop thomvaladez$ node example.js

If you're already in the node session as you've done then--as t3dodson has suggested--you do a require at that point. Only you need to prepend that with a "./" so that it will find your file.

> Thoms-MacBook-Pro:desktop thomvaladez$ node
> require ('./example.js')
> Hello World!

I'm guessing that "node" then in your version is the "Unexpected identifier".