esbuild-plugin-named-exports

3.0.7 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

An esbuild plugin (v3.0.7, infrequent releases) that rewrites CommonJS re-exports to preserve named exports when bundling CJS to ESM. It uses cjs-module-lexer to detect all named exports and emits explicit named export statements, preventing the common issue where only a default export appears. Unlike manual conversion or other CJS→ESM tools, this plugin automates the re-export of named exports for packages that re-export via module.exports = require(...).

Common errors

error Error: The plugin "esbuild-plugin-named-exports" is not a function ↓

cause Passed the plugin object directly instead of calling it as a function.

fix

plugins: [esbuldNamedExportsPlugin()]

error export default undefined ↓

cause Plugin not applied; CJS re-exports lose named exports.

fix

Add the plugin to the esbuild build configuration.

error SyntaxError: Unexpected token 'export' ↓

cause Using plugin with format 'cjs' or target too low.

fix

Ensure format is 'esm' and target is es2017 or higher.

Warnings

gotcha Plugin must be called as a function: `esbuldNamedExportsPlugin()` not just the object. ↓

fix Pass `esbuldNamedExportsPlugin()` in the plugins array.

gotcha Plugin only works when bundling CJS modules that re-export via `module.exports = require(...)`. It does not handle other CJS patterns. ↓

fix Ensure source files use the exact pattern `module.exports = require('./other')`.

gotcha Plugin may incorrectly add named exports for dynamic require() calls or conditional exports. ↓

fix Review generated bundle and manually fix if needed.

breaking In v3, the package switched to ESM-only, dropping CommonJS support. ↓

fix Use dynamic import in CJS or switch to ESM.

Install

npm install esbuild-plugin-named-exports

yarn add esbuild-plugin-named-exports

pnpm add esbuild-plugin-named-exports

Imports

default

wrong

const esbuldNamedExportsPlugin = require('esbuild-plugin-named-exports')

correct

import esbuldNamedExportsPlugin from 'esbuild-plugin-named-exports'

Package is ESM-only; named exports not supported.

Quickstart

Bundles a JavaScript file with esbuild from CJS to ESM, preserving named exports using the plugin.

import esbuild from 'esbuild';
import esbuldNamedExportsPlugin from 'esbuild-plugin-named-exports';

await esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['./input.js'],
  bundle: true,
  outfile: 'output.js',
  format: 'esm',
  target: 'es2017',
  plugins: [esbuldNamedExportsPlugin()],
});