babel-plugin-optional-require

0.3.1 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript maintenance

Babel plugin to transpile optional require() calls for bundlers like Metro that lack native support. Current stable version 0.3.1, last updated in 2019; low release cadence. Differentiator: replaces missing modules with an error-throwing IIFE so try/catch works at runtime, supports whitelist/blacklist for resolving. Not actively maintained but functional for its niche.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'babel-plugin-optional-require' ↓

cause Plugin not installed as devDependency.

fix

Run: yarn add --dev babel-plugin-optional-require

error TypeError: this.getOptions is not a function ↓

cause Using Babel 7 with plugin that expects Babel 6 API.

fix

Upgrade to a compatible plugin version or use @babel/plugin-syntax-optional-require? Note: This plugin is for Babel 6 primarily.

Warnings

gotcha Plugin only transforms require() calls inside try/catch blocks; uncaught optional requires are left as-is, causing runtime errors if module missing. ↓

fix Wrap optional requires in try/catch as shown in README.

deprecated The 'blacklist' and 'whitelist' options are inconsistently named; consider them deprecated in favor of clearer naming in future versions (none planned). ↓

fix Use 'blocklist' and 'allowlist' if available; otherwise treat blacklist/whitelist as stable.

gotcha Plugin does not handle dynamic expressions in require() (e.g., require(someVar)). Only static string literals are resolved. ↓

fix Use only string literal arguments for optional requires.

Install

npm install babel-plugin-optional-require

yarn add babel-plugin-optional-require

pnpm add babel-plugin-optional-require

Imports

default
wrong
```
import plugin from 'babel-plugin-optional-require'
```
correct
```
module.exports = { plugins: ['optional-require'] }
```
This is a Babel plugin; it's used via .babelrc or babel.config.js config, not imported in user code.

Quickstart

Configures Babel to transform optional require calls into IIFE-throwing for missing modules.

// .babelrc
{
  "plugins": ["optional-require"]
}

// In your code
let a;
try {
  a = require('optional-module');
} catch (e) {
  a = null; // fallback
}