@small-tech/import-fresh

Import a fresh, uncached version of an EcmaScript Module (ESM; aka ES6 module/JavaScript Module).

Note: This will leak memory and eventually crash your system. Garbage collecting stale ESM modules is not a solved problem as of Feb, 2021. Do not use this in production.

Syntax

importFresh(absolutePathToModule)

Example

In module.mjs:

export default (() => Math.random())

In index.mjs:

import path from 'path'
import importFresh from '@small-tech/importFresh'

console.log((await importFresh(path.resolve('./module.mjs'))).default)
console.log((await importFresh(path.resolve('./module.mjs'))).default)

Run index.mjs and note that you see two different random numbers.

Do you need this module?

Before you just npm install this, ask yourself if you really need it.

If you’re only going to use this in one place, you can cache bust using a single line of vanilla JavaScript:

e.g.,

const myModule = await import(`./my-module?update=${new Date()}`)

(Bonus: you won’t have to use absolute paths.)

And if you want to use it from several places in the same file, you can just make a simple function:

function importFresh(modulePath) {
  return await import(`${modulePath}?update=${new Date()}`)
}

The only time this module really saves you any work is if you need this functionality from multiple files within your project.

So evaluate whether you need to use it and save a dependency if you don’t.

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Copyright

© 2021 Aral Balkan, Small Technology Foundation.

License

MIT