How to include files outside project root from a common folder?

[1mike12]

I have a repo with this structure:

-common\
---common.json
-react-native-app
-server

I'm trying to import the shared json file into RN but the metro bundler can't include files outside the project from what I've read. Apparently I am supposed to put a metro.config.js file under my react-native-app folder to turn on more folders for it to watch but I cannot get the project to pick up on the existence of this file. When I try to just console.log something in the script, it doesn't work.

//this is for allow importing of common folder outside root
const path = require('path');
const COMMON_PATH = path.resolve(path.join(__dirname, '../common'));
const extraNodeModules = {
    'common': COMMON_PATH,
};
const watchFolders = [
    COMMON_PATH
];
/////////////////////////////

module.exports = {
    transformer: {
        getTransformOptions: async () => ({
            transform: {
                experimentalImportSupport: false,
                inlineRequires: true,
            },
        }),
    },
    resolver: {
        extraNodeModules
    },
    watchFolders,
};

[jamonholmgren]

I've had nothing but problems trying to do this, myself. If someone "solves" it, that would be epic.

You might even hardlink the folder into your app. That might work.

ln ../some/source/folder ./app/external

[jamonholmgren]

You might also look at rnx-kit, which has an increasing number of utilities to help with Metro configs.

https://github.com/microsoft/rnx-kit#Bundling