expose.js is a commonjs boilerplate.

If you want your javascript code can be used in browser and on the server within commonjs - you have to consider a lot of things.

There are actually 3 enviroments we need to take care about:

1. browser env. with default behaviour
2. browser env. while using AMD wrapper
3. serverside env. f.e. nodejs

Differences:

1. in default browser you have no module, exports and module.exports objects and this references the window object.
2. in browser using AMD wrapper you might be able to use module, exports, module.exports, setExports and this can reference exports or window object. It depends on loader implementation.
3. in nodejs you have module, exports, module.exports and this references to exports.

expose.js is a tiny function, which takes care about all this differences and provides an api for all enviroments.

You can copy this function into your library or add it during build process.

API

env = expose(namespace, api);

expose will detect the environment and depending on it, export your api.

• namespace is an optional string and is used to attach your api object to window. You should use it if you want to support browsers without AMD.
• api is also optional and is the object you want to export.
• env is always an object.

Example env object:

{
	commmonjs: true, // is `true` if you are inside of commonjs env. - amd or ss
	browser: true, // is `true` if you are in the browser
	global: global, // always correct global object in any env.
	exports: api, // your api object or the empty exports object
	module: module // is set if you are in commonjs env.
}

Examples

get the env.

var env = expose();

get the env. and create a global namespace if needed.

var env = expose('mylib');
var exports = env.exports;
var	global = env.global;
exports.myMethod = function(){
	global.setTimeout; // always correct global
};

export the library

var $ = {};

$.myMethod = function(){};

expose('mylib', $);