How to provide generated content as module ?

[Cactusbone]

I need to be able to provide generated content as dependencies to bundles

during build (using api) I know what the generated content will be, but there's no file containing it. it's only in memory. so i want to provide it to the bundle requiring it.

I can indeed do

bundle.exclude('a');
bundle.require(stream, {expose:'a',file:'a.js'});

but this means my bundle ends up with 'a' even when it's not required.
any tips ?

[Cactusbone]

with custom resolve function :

var generatedModules = {
    'a': textContent,
};
browserify({
    fileCache: _.clone(generatedModules),
    resolve: function (id, parent, cb) {
        var filename = null;
        if (generatedModules[id]) {
            filename = id;
        }
        _.defer(_.partial(cb, null, filename));
    },
})

[jmm]

@Cactusbone Perhaps what's discussed here will give you at least a temporary solution: #1440. As noted there though, the plugin is implemented using the undocumented ability to set module-deps .resolver, so fundamentally it's no better than doing that (with the usual cautions about using undocumented behavior), it just provides some conveniences on top of it.

[Cactusbone]

@jmm what i wrote here is working for me, so i'm using it. but since it's using a PR, i'm leaving the bug opened.
And i've stumbled on #1440 before, but i had the file not found issue with it :/

[jmm]

@Cactusbone Even if you combine it with the fileCache part from here?

[Cactusbone]

@jmm Yeah, I'll try it again and report back :)

[Cactusbone]

@jmm humm looks like you're right ! I must have found fileCache option long after trying .resolver

I like this solution better since I don't have to depend on a custom fork. even if i'm using undocumented code.

final code :

var generatedModules = {
    'a': textContent,
};

var bundle = browserify({
    fileCache: _.clone(generatedModules),
});

bundle.plugin(generateRequires, {generated: generatedModules});

function generateRequires(b, opts) {
    var generatedBundles = opts.generated || {};
    var deps = b.pipeline.get('deps');
    deps = deps.get(0);
    var defaultResolver = deps.resolver;
    deps.resolver = function (id, opts, cb) {
        if (generatedBundles[id]) {
            cb(null, id);
        } else {
            return defaultResolver(id, opts, cb);
        }
    };
}

[jmm]

@Cactusbone Thanks for the feedback. Just be aware of the usual caution that it's subject to break at any time. You may also want to handle the reset event, e.g. if you want it to work with watchify.