Module.exports vs. Exports: Which One Should You Use in Node.js?

Module.exports vs. Exports in Node.js: Understanding Their Usage

Node.js allows developers to define modules and export functionalities or objects to be reused across the application. Two commonly used constructs in this context are module.exports and exports.

Consider the following module:

module.exports = exports = nano = function database_module(cfg) {...};

Here, both module.exports and exports are assigned to the same function, but their usage and behavior differ slightly.

module.exports directly assigns the exported value to the module itself. When another module requires this module, it receives the value assigned to module.exports. This means that only the value assigned to module.exports will be exposed as an exported interface.

exports, on the other hand, is an object provided by Node.js. It can be used to modify the exported interface dynamically by adding or modifying properties. However, any modifications made to exports will not affect module.exports.

In the given example, assigning the exported function to both module.exports and exports effectively makes the exported interface immutable. Any modifications attempted through exports will not affect the value returned by module.exports. Therefore, it ensures that the exported interface remains consistent.

It's important to note that exports allows for a more flexible way of defining the exported interface, while module.exports offers a more straightforward and direct approach. Developers can choose the appropriate usage depending on the desired behavior and the complexity of the exported interface.

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