❤
npm
Sign UpSign In

modulebox

1.4.0 • Public • Published

modulebox

modulebox creates a node.js like require system in the browser. It provides a localized secure module environment, there allow pseudo-synchronous require calls there don't block by resolving the dependencies tree on the fly.

It is diffrent from most other node.js in the browser systems, by being backed by a server which enables you to load modules as they become needed, instead of loading the entire website or application at once.

Installation

npm install modulebox

Features

  • Pseudo-synchronous require calls
  • Customizable require.resolve algoritme
  • Source mapping, produces accurate stack traces
  • Blocking require fallback, if module source isn't prefetched
  • Automaticly http headers and handles cache control
  • Limits require.resolve to a designated directory
  • No pre-analyzing required

Browser support

  • Chrome
  • Firefox
  • Opera
  • Safari
  • Internet Explore 9

Example

server.js

var http = require('http');
var modulebox = require('modulebox');
 
// You should have a directory where all your client modules are, in this case
//  it is `__dirname + '/secure'`. This directory will serve as a fake root
//  from which filepaths are calculate.
var box = modulebox({
  root: __dirname + '/secure'
});
 
// Next you create a simple server
var server = http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  // Usually you would have a router where you check for /modulebox/
  if (req.url.slice(0, 11) === '/modulebox/') {
    box.dispatch(req, res);
  } else {
    // Do your usual stuff, such as serving `index.html?
  }
});

index.html

<html>
  <!-- this script sets window.modulebox -->
  <script src="/modulebox/core.js"></script> 
  <script>(function () {
    // you should then create a box object
    var box = window.modulebox();
 
    // `box` provides you with `require`, `require.resolve` and `requre.ensure`
    //  the last is important since it loads modules asynchronously
    box.require.ensure(['/module_1.js', '/module_2.js'], function (err) {
      if (err) throw err;
 
      // Now that the `module_1.js` and `module_1.js` and all their dependencies
      //  are loaded you can use `box.require` without doing a synchronously XHR.
      box.require('/module_1.js');
      box.require('/module_2.js');
    });
  })();</script> 
</html>

__dirname + '/secure/module_1.js'

// within your modules `require`, `module`, `exports`, __dirname, __filename
//  are defined and `require` calles will already be loaded.
var realmodule = require('realmodule');
 
// You can also loadd modules asynchronously with `require.ensure`
require.ensure(['anothermodule'], function (err) {
  if (err) throw err;
});

API documentation

The modulebox consists of three parts:

  • A modulebox server (node.js)
  • A client, creating a module environment (browser)
  • The module environment (browser)

modulebox server

The module exports a modulebox constructor.

var modulebox = require('modulebox');

The constructor takes an settings object, with the following properties:

  • root: designated secure directory (default: '/')
  • modules: directory name of modules (default: 'node_modules')
  • allowed: specify basename search pattern
  • special: an object mapping module names to files, only required if you want core modules

See localizer for more details on root, modules and allowed.

var builtins = require('browser-builtins');
var box = modulebox({
  root: path.resolve(__dirname, 'secure'),
  special: builtins
});

box.dispatch(req, res)

box.dispatch is a method there will read the query parameters of req.url defined by the client and send the requested module or send the core.js file. It will also take care of cache control headers such as etag and last-modified.

http.createServer(function (req, res) {
  if (req.url.slice(0, 11) === '/modulebox/') {
    box.dispatch(req, res);
  }
});

modulebox client (browser)

After the core.js script has been loaded by the browser, the window.modulebox will be available. This method is a modulebox constructor there after initializing exposes a way to fetch and require modules.

The window.modulebox constructor takes the following properties:

  • baseUrl: the url to send module requests (default: 'http(s)://{host}/modulebox/')
  • sourcePath: the pathname modules will be in the source map (default '/modulebox/files/');
var box = window.modulebox({
  baseUrl: window.location.protocol + '//' + window.location.host + '/base/',
  sourcePath: '/modules/'
});

box.require(module)

This is just like the require function in node.js, it returns the module.exports value.

However unlike the require function it is not called from a specific module but from the root as defined by the root property on the server-side.

Also note that if the module wasn't prefetched with box.require.ensure it will be loaded synchronously, which will block the javascript execution in the browser. If this is the case you will be warned by a console.warn call (if supported by the browser).

var index = require('/index.js');

box.require.ensure(modules, callback)

This method will ensure that all the modules listed in the modules array and their dependencies will be fetched.

It is worth noteing that dependencies must be defined reasonably clearly, like:

require('string');

You can check the detective module for more information on the allowed syntaxes.

When done fetching the callback will be executed. If an error occurred the first argument in the callback will become an Error otherwise its null.

box.require.ensure(['/index.js'], function (err) {
  if (err) return console.error(err.message);
 
  var index = require('/index.js');
});

It is important to note that resolve errors do not appear in the error argument, but are throwen when require or require.resolve is called just like in node.js.

box.require.resolve(module)

This returns the filepath relative to the root specified on the server-side. Note that also this method will synchronous if the module isn't already fetched.

console.log(require.resolve('async') === '/node_modules/async/index.js');

Module environment

Except for the require.ensure the module environment is exactly as you known it from node.js. The following is exposed:

  • __dirname the directory name (a unix path)
  • __filename the filename (a unix path)
  • module the module object, contains exports
  • exports the object there is returned unless module.exports is used.
  • require returns the exports value of another module
  • require.resolve returns the filepath of the module.
  • require.ensure prefetch modules.
var dialog = require('big-box');
 
module.exports = function () {
  dialog('Hallo World');
};

License

The software is license under "MIT"

Copyright (c) 2013 Andreas Madsen

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

Readme

Keywords

none

Package Sidebar

Install

npm i modulebox

Repository

github.com/AndreasMadsen/modulebox

Homepage

github.com/AndreasMadsen/modulebox#readme

Weekly Downloads

11

Version

1.4.0

License

MIT

Last publish

Collaborators

  • andreasmadsen
Try on RunKit
Report malware