I have a module which gets required, but I temporarily don't want to run the code in the module. I could just ment it out, but then it got me wondering if there is a way to exit/return early from a loading module.

Is there a built in way to stop the execution flow through the module's code, and "return" early?

I have a module which gets required, but I temporarily don't want to run the code in the module. I could just ment it out, but then it got me wondering if there is a way to exit/return early from a loading module.

Is there a built in way to stop the execution flow through the module's code, and "return" early?

• javascript
• node.js
• module

Share Improve this question Follow edited May 25, 2016 at 16:38 morsecoder asked May 25, 2016 at 16:33 morsecodermorsecoder 1,65922 gold badges1717 silver badges2525 bronze badges

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2 Answers 2

Sorted by: Reset to default 8

Actually, there is a built-in way. Every node module is loaded inside a module function wrapper and the module is executing as the body of that function. So you can just use a plain return anywhere in the module (at the top level - not in some other function) to stop the rest of the code from executing.

Node modules get executed inside a function wrapper like this:

(function (exports, require, module, __filename, __dirname, process, global) {  
    // module code is here

    // a return statement skips executing any more code in your module after that statement
    return;
 });

As such, you can just use a return statement anywhere in the module and it will return from the module wrapper function, skipping the rest of the code in the module.

---

It is probably cleaner code to just use an if statement or in your module to make the code a little more self describing and not leaving somebody wondering why there's an extraneous return statement in the middle of a module:

// this code temporarily removed from being executed
if (someBoolean) {
    // your module code here
}

Or just ment out a large section of code if you intend to remove it for awhile.

There isn't a build-in way, but you can use the following workaround. Wrap the whole module in an IIFE and just use return statement:

(function() {

  // some code

  // stop execution here
  return;

  // some code

})()