Should npm init emit type=module?

[bcherny]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

When I run npm init, the generated package.json does not include a type field.

Expected Behavior

NodeJS has supported ES Modules since version ~12 (link). If using ES Modules is the recommended approach for JS packages targeting Node/browsers, then it may make sense to update npm init to enable ES Modules by default.

Adoption of type=module is around 10% today. By making type=module the default, I expect many more projects to use ES Modules going forward.

Steps To Reproduce

No response

Environment

No response

[ljharb]

This has been discussed many times, and would be a bad default, and is not required for usage of ESM. The best way to use ESM is .mjs files.

[bcherny]

@ljharb my search skills must be failing me. I'd be curious to see some of those previous discussions.

[ljharb]

• [RRFC] npm init add a new question: type => "commonjs/module" rfcs#620
• [FEATURE] prompt for module type as part of npm init rfcs#75
• [RRFC] Add type to npm init rfcs#347

[wraithgar]

This is a pretty significant feature request and the discussions are happening in the other issues listed.