Registry / web-framework / babel-plugin-transform-require

babel-plugin-transform-require

library1.1.0jsnpmunverified

A Babel plugin that transforms CommonJS require() calls into ES6 import statements. Version 1.1.0 is the latest stable release. It converts patterns like var a = require('a') to import a from 'a'. This plugin is useful for incremental migration of codebases from CommonJS to ES modules. It operates as a Babel plugin and requires babel-core (or @babel/core) to function. Unlike more comprehensive tools like @babel/plugin-transform-modules-commonjs, this plugin focuses solely on require-to-import conversion without handling exports. The package has a slow release cadence and is minimal in scope.

web-framework

npm install babel-plugin-transform-require

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INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · BABEL-PLUGIN-TRANS

babel-plugin-transform-require

web-frameworkjavascriptv1.1.0

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

default (transformRequire)

✓ import transformRequire from 'babel-plugin-transform-require'

✗ const transformRequire = require('babel-plugin-transform-require')

The package exports a default function. Using CommonJS require works in Node but may break in ESM-only environments.

Node require (CJS)

✓ const transformRequire = require('babel-plugin-transform-require')

✗ const { transformRequire } = require('babel-plugin-transform-require')

There is no named export; using destructuring will result in undefined.

In .babelrc plugins array

✓ {"plugins": ["transform-require"]}

✗ {"plugins": ["babel-plugin-transform-require"]}

Babel resolves plugins with the 'babel-plugin-' prefix automatically, but the full name also works.

Shows how to transform a require call to an import statement using the plugin programmatically with babel-core.

// Install: npm install --save-dev babel-core babel-plugin-transform-require import {transform} from 'babel-core'; import transformRequire from 'babel-plugin-transform-require'; const codeES5 = 'var a = require("a")'; const codeES6 = transform(codeES5, { plugins: [transformRequire] }).code; console.log(codeES6); // import a from "a";

Debug

Known issues

gotchaThe plugin only transforms require() calls. It does not handle module.exports or exports, so those remain as-is.

fix

Use additional plugins like @babel/plugin-transform-modules-commonjs for a full CJS-to-ESM conversion.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaThe plugin does not support dynamic require() patterns (e.g., var x = require(someVar)). Such calls are left unchanged.

fix

Manually refactor dynamic requires or use a runtime helper for dynamic imports.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaIf the require() result is assigned to a variable that is reassigned later, the import statement will not be semantically equivalent. E.g., var a = require('a'); a = 5; becomes import a from 'a'; a = 5; which is invalid.

fix

Manually adjust code to use let or const and ensure no reassignment of imported bindings.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaThe plugin relies on babel-core (or @babel/core) but does not declare it as a peer dependency. Users must install it separately.

fix

Run npm install --save-dev babel-core (or @babel/core for Babel 7+).

affects: >=1.0.0

deprecatedThe package is based on the deprecated babel-core API (Babel 6). It may not work with Babel 7+ without adjustments.

fix

Use a more modern plugin or migrate to @babel/plugin-transform-modules-commonjs.

affects: >=1.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: Cannot find module 'babel-core'

babel-core is not installed or is missing from node_modules.

fix

Run npm install --save-dev babel-core (or @babel/core) to install babel-core as a development dependency.

TypeError: transformRequire is not a function

The import is destructured incorrectly (e.g., { transformRequire }) but the package exports a default function.

fix

Use import transformRequire from 'babel-plugin-transform-require' without curly braces.

ReferenceError: require is not defined

Using require() in an ES module environment without proper bundler/transpiler setup.

fix

Use the plugin to transform the require calls, or ensure that Node.js is configured with --experimental-require-module flag if applicable.

SyntaxError: Unexpected token import

The transformed code contains import statements but the environment does not support ES modules.

fix

Use a bundler like Webpack or a Node.js version that supports ES modules with --experimental-modules flag.

Upgrade

Version history

1.1.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

10 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/babel-plugin-transform-require ↗