import-fresh

What is import-fresh?

The import-fresh npm package is used to import a module afresh, bypassing the cache that Node.js uses for require calls. This is particularly useful when you need to ensure that you're getting a fresh version of the module, for instance, when you're testing or when you want to reload configuration files that may have changed.

What are import-fresh's main functionalities?

Bypass require cache

This feature allows you to bypass the require cache and freshly import a module. It's useful when you want to reload a module to reflect any changes made to it since it was first imported.

const importFresh = require('import-fresh');
const freshConfig = importFresh('./config');

Other packages similar to import-fresh

proxyquire

Proxyquire is a package that allows you to override dependencies during testing. It provides a way to stub out modules similar to import-fresh, but with an emphasis on mocking for testing purposes.

decache

Decache is a package that lets you delete modules from the require cache. It is similar to import-fresh in that it allows for modules to be re-required as if they were never cached, but it does not provide a direct method to re-import a module.

clear-require

Clear-require is a package that clears a module from the require cache. It is similar to import-fresh, but instead of re-importing the module, it simply clears it from the cache, requiring an additional call to 'require' to reload the module.

README

import-fresh

Import a module while bypassing the cache

Useful for testing purposes when you need to freshly import a module.

ESM

For ESM, you can use this snippet:

const importFresh = moduleName => import(`${moduleName}?${Date.now()}`);

const {default: foo} = await importFresh('foo');

This snippet causes a memory leak, so only use it for short-lived tests.

Install

npm install import-fresh

Usage

// foo.js
let i = 0;
module.exports = () => ++i;

const importFresh = require('import-fresh');

require('./foo')();
//=> 1

require('./foo')();
//=> 2

importFresh('./foo')();
//=> 1

importFresh('./foo')();
//=> 1

Related

• clear-module - Clear a module from the import cache
• import-from - Import a module from a given path
• import-cwd - Import a module from the current working directory
• import-lazy - Import modules lazily