How to disable file extension (".js") need for import/export in an ES6 project?

Question

I have a ts module. I'm compiling this module to another project's specific folder by using outDir of tsconfig.json and the command tsc -w. So, whenever I update the ts module, it compiles files to the other project but forgets file extensions while importing. And that means I have to manually update all extensions each time because it is a must??

So, I searched for a way to compile ts files with file extensions but found nothing. Then, I searched for disabling file extension (".js") needed for import/export in an ES6 project. I found this:

...configure your server to ignore the extension...

But he is not saying how to configure it.

Edit:

I am running my project with nodemon src/index.js

and when a js file has been generated that has an import without extension this is the error nodemon gave:

[nodemon] restarting due to changes...
[nodemon] starting `node src/index.js`
internal/process/esm_loader.js:74
    internalBinding('errors').triggerUncaughtException(
                              ^

Error [ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND]: Cannot find module 'C:\Users\......\trendyol' imported from C:\Users\.......\index.js
    at finalizeResolution (internal/modules/esm/resolve.js:276:11)
    at moduleResolve (internal/modules/esm/resolve.js:699:10)
    at Loader.defaultResolve [as _resolve] (internal/modules/esm/resolve.js:810:11)
    at Loader.resolve (internal/modules/esm/loader.js:86:40)
    at Loader.getModuleJob (internal/modules/esm/loader.js:230:28)
    at ModuleWrap.<anonymous> (internal/modules/esm/module_job.js:56:40)
    at link (internal/modules/esm/module_job.js:55:36) {
  code: 'ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND'
}
[nodemon] app crashed - waiting for file changes before starting...

But when I add extensions (js), it works as expected.

Carlock

"because it is a must in ES6" That's not true as such. ES6 itself doesn't care about the structure of module identifiers at all. The environment that processes the module identifiers might care. So where/how are those JavaScript files executed? – Bale

I found a solution here – Carlock

Answer 1

Because relative import paths need full extensions in ESM (we have to write import "./foo.js" instead of import "./foo")

So you have 2 different solution :

1. add .js extension to your import file

or

2. use --experimental-specifier-resolution=node to ignore extension on runtime

Convention

Answer 2

You can do this by adding --experimental-modules --es-module-specifier-resolution=node to you start script in package.json:

  "scripts": {
    "start": "nodemon --experimental-modules --es-module-specifier-resolution=node index.js"
  },

Osmium

Answer 3

You can also solve this by setting jsconfig.json compilerOptions.moduleResolution field to "NodeNext".

Modie