Is it ok to use Babel npm package for node.js server application

Question

As Node V6 already supports ~95% of ES6, why are people using Babel on the server side? What are the pros and cons of using Babel on the server side?

Answer 1

There is one main reason: import / export

See:

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/import
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/export

There is even a special Babel preset for Node:

• https://www.npmjs.com/package/babel-preset-node6

that doesn't transpile anything that Node already supports natively.

You can also use babel-preset-env which is "A Babel preset that can automatically determine the Babel plugins and polyfills you need based on your supported environments" - thanks to loganfsmyth for pinting it out in the comments. See:

• https://www.npmjs.com/package/babel-preset-env

And Node doesn't support ES6 modules - see this answer for details on why:

• javascript - Why is there a spec for sync and async modules?