A common pattern in node.js is to include an index file which creates a hash of the files in its current directory. Given a directory structure like so:
app.js
routes/
index.js
home.js
auth/
login.js
logout.js
register.js
routes/index.jsusesrequire-directoryto build the hash (rather than doing so manually) like so:
var requireDirectory =require('require-directory');
module.exports=requireDirectory(module);
app.jsreferencesroutes/index.jslike any other module, but it now has a hash/tree of the exports from the./routes/directory:
var routes =require('./routes');
// snip
app.get('/',routes.home);
app.get('/register',routes.auth.register);
app.get('/login',routes.auth.login);
app.get('/logout',routes.auth.logout);
Theroutesvariable above is the equivalent of this:
var routes ={
home:require('routes/home.js'),
auth:{
login:require('routes/auth/login.js'),
logout:require('routes/auth/logout.js'),
register:require('routes/auth/register.js')
}
};
Note thatroutes.indexwill beundefinedas you would hope.
Specifying Another Directory
You can specify which directory you want to build a tree of (if it isn't the current directory for whatever reason) by passing it as the second parameter. Not specifying the path (requireDirectory(module)) is the equivelant ofrequireDirectory(module, __dirname):
var requireDirectory =require('require-directory');
For example, in theexample in the Usage sectionwe could have avoided creatingroutes/index.jsand instead changed the first lines ofapp.jsto:
var requireDirectory =require('require-directory');
var routes =requireDirectory(module,'./routes');
Options
You can pass an options hash torequire-directoryas the 2nd parameter (or 3rd if you're passing the path to another directory as the 2nd parameter already). Here are the available options:
Whitelisting
Whitelisting (either via RegExp or function) allows you to specify that only certain files be loaded.
var requireDirectory =require('require-directory'),
