shebang-loader

0.0.1 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript deprecated

Webpack loader that strips the shebang (#!) line from script files, allowing them to be bundled as modules. Current version 0.0.1 is a minimal, unmaintained package with no releases since 2014. It only works with webpack 1.x and provides no configuration options. Not suitable for modern projects; alternatives include inline loader syntax or manual file transforms.

Common errors

error Module not found: Error: Can't resolve 'shebang-loader' ↓

cause shebang-loader is not installed or the loader name is misspelled.

fix

Run 'npm install shebang-loader --save-dev' and use correct loader name: 'shebang-loader' (not 'shebang').

error Error: Shebang loader is used but the file does not have a shebang ↓

cause The loader expects a shebang line; if missing, it may error (depends on implementation).

fix

Ensure files have a shebang line, or remove the loader rule for files without shebangs.

error BREAKING CHANGE: webpack < 5 used to include polyfills for node.js built-in modules... ↓

cause Using shebang-loader with modern webpack may trigger compatibility warnings due to polyfill removal.

fix

Use webpack 1 or avoid shebang-loader; it is not maintained for newer webpack versions.

Warnings

gotcha The shebang-loader only works with webpack 1.x. In webpack 2+, it is not officially supported and may cause errors. ↓

fix Use webpack 1 or manually strip shebang with a preprocessor. Consider using a custom loader or the 'imports-loader' with shebang removal.

deprecated Package has no updates since 2014 and is effectively abandoned. It does not support modern webpack versions (2, 3, 4, 5). ↓

fix Replace with a custom webpack loader that uses regex to remove shebang lines, or use an alternative package like 'strip-loader'.

gotcha The loader only strips lines that start with '#!', but does not handle files that have no shebang, causing no issues. However, it may not remove carriage return characters on Windows line endings. ↓

fix If on Windows, ensure line endings are Unix-style (LF) or modify the loader to handle CRLF.

Install

npm install shebang-loader

yarn add shebang-loader

pnpm add shebang-loader

Imports

default (loader)
wrong
```
import script from 'shebang!./file.js';
```
correct
```
import script from 'shebang-loader!./file.js';
```
The exclamation mark syntax is used before the resource; some users mistakenly omit '!.' or use 'loader!' syntax wrong.

shebang-loader (config entry)

wrong

module.exports = { module: { loaders: [ { test: /\.js$/, loader: 'shebang-loader' } ] } }

correct

module.exports = { module: { rules: [ { test: /\.js$/, use: 'shebang-loader' } ] } }

Webpack 1 uses 'loaders' array, modern webpack uses 'rules'. The package is from webpack 1 era.

require (CommonJS)

wrong

var script = require('shebang!./file.js');

correct

var script = require('shebang-loader!./file.js');

Users often forget the '-loader' suffix.

Quickstart

Webpack config to strip shebang from .js files and an example requiring a CLI script.

// webpack.config.js
module.exports = {
  module: {
    rules: [
      {
        test: /\.js$/,
        use: 'shebang-loader'
      }
    ]
  }
};

// Now require a CLI script with a shebang line
// bin/hello.js: #!/usr/bin/env node\nconsole.log('Hello');
const hello = require('shebang-loader!./bin/hello.js');
console.log(hello); // 'Hello'