Node.js Compatibility with Bare

Bare offers seamless compatibility with Node.js counterparts. Most of the modules and APIs used by developers are covered and supported.

Currently supported modules

• child_process: bare-subprocess (through npm:bare-node-child-process)

• console: bare-console (through npm:bare-node-console)

• events: bare-events (through npm:bare-node-events)

• fs: bare-fs (through npm:bare-node-fs)

• http: bare-http1 (through npm:bare-node-http)

• inspector: bare-inspector (through npm:bare-node-inspector)

• os: bare-os (through npm:bare-node-os)

• path: bare-path (through npm:bare-node-path)

• process: bare-process (through npm:bare-node-process)

• readline: bare-readline (through npm:bare-node-readline)

• repl: bare-repl (through npm:bare-node-repl)

• tty: bare-tty (through npm:bare-node-tty)

• url: bare-url (through npm:bare-node-url)

Config for the Node.js stdlib

To get the full Node.js compatible layer that Bare currently supports add the following lines to the package.json file.

{
  "dependencies": {
    "bare-subprocess": "^2.0.4",
    "child_process": "npm:bare-node-child-process",
    "bare-console": "^4.1.0",
    "console": "npm:bare-node-console",
    "bare-events": "^2.2.0",
    "events": "npm:bare-node-events",
    "bare-fs": "^2.1.5",
    "fs": "npm:bare-node-fs",
    "bare-http1": "^2.0.3",
    "http": "npm:bare-node-http",
    "bare-inspector": "^1.1.2",
    "inspector": "npm:bare-node-inspector",
    "bare-os": "^2.2.0",
    "os": "npm:bare-node-os",
    "bare-path": "^2.1.0",
    "path": "npm:bare-node-path",
    "bare-process": "^1.3.0",
    "process": "npm:bare-node-process",
    "bare-readline": "^1.0.0",
    "readline": "npm:bare-node-readline",
    "bare-repl": "^1.0.3",
    "repl": "npm:bare-node-repl",
    "bare-tty": "^3.2.0",
    "tty": "npm:bare-node-tty",
    "bare-url": "^1.0.7",
    "url": "npm:bare-node-url"
  }
}

Example

Support for 'fs'

Simply add the following lines in the package.json file for using 'fs' in a Bare Application.

{
  "dependencies": {
    "bare-fs": "^2.1.5",
    "fs": "npm:bare-node-fs"
  }
}

Firstly, install bare-fs newer than ^2.1.5. Then, alias fs to the wrapper npm:bare-node-fs.

The only thing the wrapper does is module.exports = require('bare-fs') and at version *, meaning the version that is specified is used.

Using the wrapper saves space as npm will only include bare-fs once if something else installs it.

Using import maps

When writing a module that uses fs the mapping can be specified directly in the module instead of relying on the compatible. This can be achieved using an 'import map'.

For example Localdrive uses fs and to work in both Bare and Node.js it adds the following import map to the package.json file.

{
  "imports": {
    "fs": {
      "bare": "bare-fs",
      "default": "fs"
    },
    "fs/*": {
      "bare": "bare-fs/*",
      "default": "fs/*"
    }
  },
  "optionalDependencies": {
    "bare-fs": "^2.1.5"
  }
}

This way the module is in full control of exactly which version of fs is bound to Bare.

This is the best option, as it provides the best of both worlds. Node.js compatibility, but with full control of the dependencies.