async-module

This module allows to use await statements without being into an async function.

However, the execution of the await statements in the modules will be asynchronous.

Usage

// main.js
'use strict';
const Assert = require('assert');
require('async-module');
const mod = require('./module');
 
Assert(Object.keys(mod).length === 0);
console.log('Object.keys(mod).length === 0');
 
setTimeout(() => {
    Assert(Object.keys(mod).length === 1);
    console.log('Assert(Object.keys(mod).length === 1)');
    Assert(mod.message === 'hello world');
    console.log('Assert(mod.message === \'hello world\')');
});

// module.js
'use strict';
// this module contains an `await` statement outside of an async function.
 
const res = await Promise.resolve('hello world');
module.exports.message = res;

WARNING

This module is a prank PoC. It is not to be used in production, nor by anyone really.

It aims at showing that it is not because a hack is possible in the node core that it should be used.

FYI, the source code of the module has only 12 LOC:

'use strict';
const Module = require('module');
 
const wrapper = [
    '(async function (exports, require, module, __filename, __dirname) { ',
    '\n});'
];
 
Module.wrap = function (script) {
 
    return wrapper[0] + script + wrapper[1];
};

Please, never mess with the internals of Node.js like that unless you have a very good reason.