optional-require

What is optional-require?

The 'optional-require' npm package allows you to require modules that may or may not exist without throwing an error. This is useful for optional dependencies or plugins that are not always needed.

What are optional-require's main functionalities?

Basic Optional Require

This feature allows you to require a module that may not be installed. If the module is not available, it returns null instead of throwing an error.

const optionalRequire = require('optional-require')(require);
const myModule = optionalRequire('my-module');
if (myModule) {
  console.log('my-module is available');
} else {
  console.log('my-module is not available');
}

Optional Require with Default Value

This feature allows you to provide a default value if the module is not available. This can be useful to ensure your code continues to work even if the optional module is missing.

const optionalRequire = require('optional-require')(require);
const myModule = optionalRequire('my-module', { default: {} });
console.log(myModule);

Optional Require with Logging

This feature allows you to log a custom message if the module is not available. This can be useful for debugging or informing the user about missing optional dependencies.

const optionalRequire = require('optional-require')(require);
const myModule = optionalRequire('my-module', { message: 'my-module is not installed' });
if (!myModule) {
  console.log('my-module is not installed');
}

Other packages similar to optional-require

require-optional

The 'require-optional' package provides similar functionality by allowing you to require modules that may not be installed. It also returns null if the module is not available, but it does not provide options for default values or custom logging messages.

try-require

The 'try-require' package attempts to require a module and returns undefined if the module is not found. It is similar to 'optional-require' but does not offer as many customization options such as default values or custom messages.

README

optional-require

Optional Require