eslint-plugin-import-helpers

2.0.1 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

ESLint plugin providing configurable import ordering rules, forked from eslint-plugin-import. Current stable version is 2.0.1, supporting ESLint v9. It allows custom grouping (e.g., modules, absolute paths, parent/sibling), newlines between groups, and alphabetical sorting. Compared to eslint-plugin-import, it offers more flexible group definitions and is simpler for import sorting specifically. The maintainer recommends using Prettier instead for formatting. No frequent releases; v2 is a major bump for ESLint v9 support with no other breaking changes.

Common errors

error ESLint couldn't find the plugin "eslint-plugin-import-helpers". ↓

cause Plugin not installed or ESLint cannot resolve it.

fix

Run 'npm install eslint-plugin-import-helpers --save-dev' and ensure node_modules contains it.

error Configuration for rule "import-helpers/order-imports" is invalid. ↓

cause Invalid options object shape (e.g., missing groups array).

fix

Ensure rule options have at least a 'groups' array. Example: ["warn", { groups: ["module"] }]

error Cannot read property 'sort' of undefined ↓

cause Occurs when groups array is empty or malformed.

fix

Provide a non-empty groups array with at least one valid group (e.g., 'module').

Warnings

breaking Version 2.x requires ESLint v9. ESLint v8 not supported. ↓

fix Upgrade to ESLint v9 or use version 1.x.

deprecated The plugin is not actively maintained; maintainer recommends Prettier plugin instead. ↓

fix Consider using @ianvs/prettier-plugin-sort-imports for formatting.

gotcha TypeScript type imports (import type { X }) are not supported and may be incorrectly sorted. ↓

fix Use a separate rule or plugin for type imports, or configure group order to place type imports manually.

gotcha Regular expression groups must start with '/^' and end with '/' to be interpreted as regex; otherwise treated as module names. ↓

fix Ensure regex patterns are surrounded by '/^.../' in the groups array.

Install

npm install eslint-plugin-import-helpers

yarn add eslint-plugin-import-helpers

pnpm add eslint-plugin-import-helpers

Imports

order-imports
wrong
```
eslint-plugin-import-helpers/order-imports
```
correct
```
import-helpers/order-imports (in rules config)
```
Rule name is referenced as a string in ESLint config, not imported directly.
plugin
wrong
```
plugins: ['import-helpers']
```
correct
```
plugins: ['eslint-plugin-import-helpers']
```
In ESLint, the plugin name must be prefixed with 'eslint-plugin-' when using the full name, or you can use the shorthand 'import-helpers' if ESLint resolves it.
require('eslint-plugin-import-helpers')
wrong
```
const plugin = require('eslint-plugin-import')
```
correct
```
const plugin = require('eslint-plugin-import-helpers')
```
CommonJS require works, but typically used declaratively in config. Avoid confusing with eslint-plugin-import.

Quickstart

Configures the order-imports rule with groups: external modules, @shared/ internal modules, then relative imports, with newlines between groups and alphabetical sorting.

// Install: npm install --save-dev eslint-plugin-import-helpers
// .eslintrc.js
module.exports = {
  plugins: ['eslint-plugin-import-helpers'],
  rules: {
    'import-helpers/order-imports': [
      'warn',
      {
        newlinesBetween: 'always',
        groups: [
          'module',
          '/^@shared/',
          ['parent', 'sibling', 'index'],
        ],
        alphabetize: { order: 'asc', ignoreCase: true },
      },
    ],
  },
};