I am not sure if this applies to ecmaScript modules though I suspect it does. But...
I have known all along that NodeJS only loaded a module once no matter how many times it appears in a require() statement. Today I ran into a ramification that I never realized. Makes perfect sense but I never thought about it.
I will say that part of the reason I didn't think about it is that I am rabid in my opposition to global context. As soon as I learned enough, I wrapped everything in a function and only, ever pass values into functions and classes. I never use closure in a situation longer than a few lines and regret even that. (The only, only thing I like better about PHP than JS is its 'function() use' statement instead of closure.
It turns out that every single require()'d module is actually a singleton. Make an object and push crap into it from anywhere in your system and all the crap from all the sources are in that one object, their only connection being a require() statement. It's the same with any side effects. Only once.
Consequently, my modules are always a single function that is either executed by:
It turns out that every single require()'d module is actually a singleton. Make an object and push crap into it from anywhere in your system and all the crap from all the sources are in that one object, their only connection being a require() statement. It's the same with any side effects. Only once.
Consequently, my modules are always a single function that is either executed by:
- module.exports = moduleFunction; //if I want to pass arguments
- module.exports = moduleFunction();
- module.exports = args=>new moduleFunction(args);
The only other statements are require() statements which, if they are mine, have the same carefully controlled lack of state. I always explicitly initialize everything about a module separate from require()ing it.
But, it is merely good luck that I never got my ass bitten painfully by this. If anyone had ever asked me about it, I would have said, "Yes, you have to watch out for variables that persist between require() actions." But, nobody ever did and I have never given it one single thought. It's embarrassing. Saved only by good luck.
I guess, though, that there is some benefit to being crazed about carefully controlled variable scope and accessibility. Made it so that there wasn't any loose data to be compromised. So, lucky me.
I guess, though, that there is some benefit to being crazed about carefully controlled variable scope and accessibility. Made it so that there wasn't any loose data to be compromised. So, lucky me.