How can I require a file that is built using browserify?

[saeedseyfi]

Hello browserify lords :)

I built a js library using browserify. Working well in the browser and everything looks great if I put it as a separate file in my html:

<!-- my library -->
<script src="./library/index.js"></script>

<!-- my app that uses the library -->
<script src="./app/build.js"></script>

But when I want to require the library file in my app, browserify complains.
Because the requires are still in the file and if I re-bundle it, browserify wants to re-include the files that are already included.

My files:

- library
  - src
    - core.js
    - foo.js
  - build.js
- app
  - src
    - core.js
  - build.js

library/src/foo.js:

module.exports = 'foo';

library/src/core.js:

console.log(require('./foo'));

app/src/core.js:

require('../../library/build');

library/build.js is created using browserify:

$ browserify library/src/core.js > library/build.js

Now I want to build app/src/core.js the same way ($ browserify app/src/core.js > app/build.js) but it complains: Error: Cannot find module './foo' from '/library'

I created a test repo to demo the issue: https://github.com/saeedseyfi/browserify-issue

Please advise.

[simonfan]

@saeedseyfi, hmmm would it work for you if you just required your source library/src in your application's code? In case you really need to have the library's code to be separated and be built separately, I would say the best solution would be to publish it as a separate npm package and install it through npm. That way you can require it directly by name in your application's code.

If you don't want to publish the package to npm you could just put it in a git repo and install using npm git (npm install -s git+https://github.com/someuser/some-lib).

[goto-bus-stop]

yeah if possible, requiring the source files directly is ideal. if you must require a browserify bundle, you can first pass it through https://www.npmjs.com/package/derequire to rewrite the require() calls.

[saeedseyfi]

Thanks for your responses @simonfan @goto-bus-stop :) I'll require my source.

[saeedseyfi]

Suggestion:
What if browserify changes the requires in the final bundle?!
E.g. require('./foo') to require(7) and 7 points to the part of code that is already bundled. In this scenario if you require the bundle again it only looks for the requires that point to files/modules, not numbers.
Is it practical?

[goto-bus-stop]

browserify/detective#79 will make browserify ignore require calls inside browserify bundles, so it should address this too!

[ljharb]

Pending browserify/detective#79