module.exports client side

Question

module.exports client side

I've created a node module that is essentially just some useful JS that can also be used client side. I know that require.js can load common.js components, but I don't necessarily want to make a mandate that everyone who uses my module client side also needs require or common.js or something. I also don't want to force them to remove the module.exports = ... at the bottom of the file. How do others solve this problem? Do you just create 2 versions, or 2 "compiled" versions rather? Does module.exports work everywhere?

javascript
node.js
browser
module
requirejs

Answer 1

This is what underscore.js does:

if (typeof exports !== 'undefined') {
  if (typeof module !== 'undefined' && module.exports) {
    exports = module.exports = _;
  }
  exports._ = _;
} else {
  root['_'] = _;
}

Answer 2

This has worked for me (CoffeeScript). Assume 'Namespace' is what you want to claim on the window scope for the client

(module ? {}).exports = @Namespace =
  my: 'cool'
  module: '!'

Then you can use require('namespace').my === 'cool' in Node.js or Namespace.my === 'cool' in the browser. This translates into JS as

(typeof module !== "undefined" && module !== null ? module : {}).exports = this.Namespace = {
  my: 'cool',
  module: '!'
};