_better-module-alias is an improved version of the fantastic module-alias package._

Better Module Alias

Fix the issue of having to do relative paths like:

``
require('../../../../some/deep/module')
`

Instead, make your code look like:

`
require('$utils/some/deep/module')
`

How do I use it?

$3

_This package uses the same package.json formatting as module-alias._

In your package.json, add a _moduleAliases object formatted like this:

`json
{
"_moduleAliases": {
"$tests": "./tests",
"$utils": "./utils"
}
}
`

- _NOTE: Prefixing with $ is considered a best-practice so it doesn't interfere with @-scoped npm packages._
- _NOTE: We prefix a $ so it's obvious which imports are from npm packages and which come from better-module-alias._

$3

_NOTE: better-module-alias has to be imported before any $ imports in your root code file, or it won't work._

If you want to use better-module-alias in Node.js, you'll need to import this package at the top of the file that gets run in your node command such as ./index.js.

`js
require("better-module-alias")(__dirname);

// or

import betterModuleAlias from "better-module-alias";
betterModuleAlias(__dirname);
`

When you want to require an aliased file, do it like so:

`js
const someModule = require("$utils/someModule");

// or

import someModule from "$utils/someModule";
`

An _alternative_ way is to call the betterModuleAlias function, and pass the aliases as the second argument.

`js
// Method 1 (using package.json _moduleAliases)
import betterModuleAlias from "better-module-alias";
betterModuleAlias(__dirname);

// Method 2 (using the second argument as aliases)
require("better-module-alias")(__dirname, {
$tests: "./tests",
$utils: "./utils",
});
`

#### Examples

##### Will work:

`js
// index.js
require("better-module-alias")(__dirname);
const someModule = require("$utils/someModule");
`

##### Won't work:

`js
// index.js
const someModule = require("$utils/someModule");
require("better-module-alias")(__dirname);
`

#### Issues with fs

Libraries like fs won't work with better-module-alias because it's overriding the require functionality of CommonJS, not file lookups in other libraries. The way to get around that is by using require.resolve.

Where you might have done:

`js
fs.readFile("../../../../some/deep/module", callback);
`

You can use require.resolve to do this instead:

`js
fs.readFile(require.resolve("$utils/some/deep/module"), callback);
`

That'll allow you to get the same functionality without having to have 2 ways of writing the same code.

$3

Webpack has a built in support for aliases and custom modules directories.

Add this code to your Webpack config to get it working with better-module-alias:

`js
const packageJson = require("./package.json");

const webpackConfig = {
// ...
resolve: {
alias: {
...packageJson._moduleAliases,
},
},
// ...
};
`

FAQ

$3

Because I fixed an issue inherit in the original module-alias where you can't use npm link or yarn link with other packages also using module-alias. This also fixes the issue where you might be using module-alias in your main package, but also one in node_modules/.

$3

I did, and it wasn't accepted.

module-alias works by also going into subdirectories and linking up packages in node_modules as well when linking.

Instead of going through that,

$3

I used to use app-module-path in the past and suffered less issues than module-alias`, but it also didn't do what I needed. Instead, I created this library.