Will Node.js Ever Embrace ES6 Modules?

Node.js's Plan for ES6 (ECMAScript 2015) Module Support

Question:

Node.js currently relies on CommonJS syntax for module loading, leaving developers with limited options for using the ECMAScript 2015 module standard. Will Node.js ever adopt ECMAScript 2015 modules?

Answer:

Yes, Node.js is actively working towards supporting ECMAScript 2015 modules. However, the implementation has been marked as experimental and should be used with caution in production environments.

Node.js Support Progress:

• Node.js 13.2.0 & Above: ES Modules are now supported without a flag, but the implementation is still experimental.
• Node.js 13.1.0 & Below: The esm module loader can be used to provide production-ready ES Module support in older Node.js versions.

Implementation Details:

• Node.js will implement module detection based on the package.type field in package.json.
• The .cjs file extension can be used to specifically import CommonJS modules in module mode.

*Timeline:

• April 2019: A PR landed to enhance module detection and load behavior.
• January 2019: Node.js 11.6.0 listed ES Modules as experimental, requiring a flag to enable.
• September 2017: Node.js 8.5.0 introduced support for .mjs files behind a flag, with plans to remove the flag in the v10.0 LTS release.
• September 2017: Initial support for ESM modules was added to the Node.js master branch, enabled by the --experimental-modules flag.
• February 2017: Node.js announced its intention to use the .mjs file extension for ES6 Modules.
• October 2016: A Node.js developer outlined the blockers to implementing ES6 Modules in Node.js, including the differences between static and evaluated modules and the difficulty in detecting module types.

Conclusion:

Node.js is committed to implementing ECMAScript 2015 module support, but the exact timeline and implementation details are still evolving. Developers can follow the development progress and use experimental features or external module loaders for ES Module support in the meantime.

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