babel-plugin-rewrite-require

1.14.5 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

A Babel plugin that rewrites ES6 module imports and CommonJS require() calls using a simple alias map. Version 1.14.5 is stable with infrequent releases. Key differentiators: supports optional module blacklisting, non-string literal detection, and missing file handling. Unlike generic alias plugins, it is designed for React Native and browserify compatibility, enabling runtime exceptions for optional dependencies or missing files.

Common errors

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

cause Plugin not installed or incorrectly referenced.

fix

npm install babel-plugin-rewrite-require --save-dev

error TypeError: (0 , _plugin.default) is not a function ↓

cause Using named import instead of default import.

fix

Use import rewrite from 'babel-plugin-rewrite-require'

error ReferenceError: throwForModules is not a function ↓

cause Options passed incorrectly (e.g., as a string instead of object in array form).

fix

Ensure plugin is specified as ["babel-plugin-rewrite-require", { ... }] in .babelrc

Warnings

gotcha The plugin is a CommonJS module; importing it in an ES module context may require dynamic import or Babel config as JS. ↓

fix Use module.exports in Babel config file, or use dynamic import with .mjs config.

gotcha The default export must be used; named exports do not exist. ↓

fix Use import pkg from 'babel-plugin-rewrite-require' or const pkg = require('babel-plugin-rewrite-require')

deprecated Plugin options structure may change in future major versions; aliases is currently flat. ↓

fix Use current flat object format for aliases.

Install

npm install babel-plugin-rewrite-require

yarn add babel-plugin-rewrite-require

pnpm add babel-plugin-rewrite-require

Imports

default

module.exports = require('babel-plugin-rewrite-require')

CommonJS-style export; used in Babel config files.

default

wrong

import { rewrite } from 'babel-plugin-rewrite-require'

correct

import rewrite from 'babel-plugin-rewrite-require'

Default export only; named import will result in undefined.

Quickstart

Configures the plugin with aliases, non-string literal enforcement, and module/file blacklisting.

// .babelrc or babel.config.js
{
  "plugins": [
    ["babel-plugin-rewrite-require", {
      "aliases": {
        "some-module": "./some-replacement-module",
        "crypto": "crypto-browserify"
      },
      "throwForNonStringLiteral": true,
      "throwForModules": ["optional-dep"],
      "throwForMissingFiles": ["/path/to/optional/config.json"]
    }]
  ]
}

// Input: require('some-module') becomes require('./some-replacement-module')
// Input: require('crypto') becomes require('crypto-browserify')
// Input: require('cry' + 'pto') throws a runtime error
// Input: require('optional-dep') throws a runtime error
// Input: require('/path/to/optional/config.json') throws a runtime error