auramo / babel-node-repl-issue

Demonstrates an issue with the babel-node repl regarding ES6 importing of node modules

babel-node repl issue

babel-node repl works differently from compiled code + node regarding import. The ES6-way of importing works fine when I compile code with babel and run it with with the node binary. In babel-node I can't seem to import a node-module. The import doesn't throw any error, but when I try to use the module, I get ReferenceError. Details below.

First, run npm install. Then start the repl:

node_modules/.bin/babel-node

Now, try to make an ES6-import of our example lib (ramda):

import R from 'ramda'
R.identity(1)

This error occurs:

R.identity(1);
^
ReferenceError: R is not defined

However, direct call to CommonJS/Node require works:

const R = require('ramda')
R.identity(1)
-> 1

But when I do the same thing import by compiling my ES6 code first, and then run it with node, everything works fine. The test code (test-module.js):

import R from 'ramda'

const retval = R.identity(1)
console.log(retval)

Compile and run:

node_modules/.bin/babel test-module.js --out-file test-module-compiled.js
node test-module-compiled.js
-> 1

I used node version v0.12.7.