Advantages of functions as modules

[Sameer Joshi]

Hello Team!

I wanted to know, what are the advantages (if there are) of calling functions from modules using modules.exports as opposed adding all the functions to the main app JS file.

I am looking for a simple comparison or pro's and con's for points apart from that it gives logical modularity and readability.

Thanks a ton!

[Angel Java Lopez]

Short answer, English is not my strong point ;-)

A keyword: modularization

Instead of populate the global environment, each module exposes the functions that needed to be consumed, without worrying of name conflicts with other modules.

And there are more benefits:

- Each module tries to cover a single domain of problem, module trends to be small in node.js ecosystem (except if it is a framework)

- The internal representation is in the module, only the top of the iceberg is exposed via module.exports

- Notably, you will see few classes exposes. Instead of "new mymodule.MyClass()" you will see "mymodule.createObject(...)", factory methods, that encapsulates the real implementation

Don't forget the NPM and versioning system: each module can consume exactly the required version of other module. Then, A could consume B...@0.1.0, and C could consume B...@0.1.1, without problem. If B module populated the global environment, such separation could not be possible. NPM is the "secret weapon" in Node.js ecosystem.

Paraphrasing David Hilbert: "No one will drive us from the paradise which Node.js modules created for us"

Angel "Java" Lopez

@ajlopez

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[Floby]

Everything AJ said  +

-> Testability