Can not import .node file in esm

[Brooooooklyn]

Version

v16.12.0

Platform

x86_64-apple-darwin

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

import { fastFunction } from './native.node'

console.log(fastFunction)

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior?

[Function: fastFunction]

What do you see instead?

TypeError [ERR_UNKNOWN_FILE_EXTENSION]: Unknown file extension ".node" 

Additional information

No response

[iam-frankqiu]

Maybe you should try setting the command-line options --experimental-specifier-resolution = node. The .node extension that isn't supported default has been a legacy extension. you should add the above options to support this extension.

[Brooooooklyn]

Should we default support .node file?

[iam-frankqiu]

Should we default support .node file?

I don't think it's a good idea. actually. I even don't think .mjs should support default. I like the design of simple and easy to use.

[Brooooooklyn]

What's the recommend way to deliver native addon as esm package?

[Brooooooklyn]

I need to wrap some annoying codes to make my package could be imported in esm:

const { func1, func2, func3, func4 } = require('./some-addon.node')

module.exports = {
  func1,
  func2,
  func3,
  func4,
}

[iam-frankqiu]

https://nodejs.org/api/module.html#module_module_createrequire_filename
Maybe it can help you to solve the puzzle.

[Brooooooklyn]

Maybe it can help you to solve the puzzle.

It doesn't help at all.
It turns codes into:

const { func1, func2, func3 } = createRequire(...)("./native.node")

export { func1, func2, func3 }

Please reopen this issue.

[Brooooooklyn]

@mhdawson is this issue belong to Node-API scope?

[mhdawson]

@Brooooooklyn I don't think this is specific to Node-API, more related to ESM. @nodejs/modules has there been discussion around the ESM plans for loading native modules?

[bmeck]

At some point in time it was ripped out and moved to

node/lib/internal/modules/esm/get_format.js

Line 26 in df22736

const legacyExtensionFormatMap = {

, I forget the exact reasoning but it partially dealt with not having a general MIME agreed upon / some push back since it would have people write code that didn't work in other environments / the introduction of createRequire.

[GeoffreyBooth]

Supporting it via import is probably something we can’t do just yet until we wait and see how the spec settles with regard to JSON and WebAssembly imports. For now I think you should be able to do:

import { createRequire } from 'module';
const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);

const nativeModule = require('./native.node');

See https://nodejs.org/api/module.html#modulecreaterequirefilename

[Brooooooklyn]

As I metioned below, createRequire usage is too verbose for library authors. For example if I had 10 functions exported from native addon and I want provide esm package for these functions, I need to write these codes:

const { func1, func2, func3, func4, func5, func6, func7, func8, func9, func10 } = createRequire(...)("./native.node")

export { func1, func2, func3, func4, func5, func6, func7, func8, func9, func10 }