Regression: Resolution algorithm collision

[bmeck]

• Version: v4+
• Platform: all
• Subsystem: module

At some time just before v4 a seemingly invalid test was introduced. It invalidates the resolve algorithm as documented by checking for ./foo/package.json before ./foo.js when using require('./foo') always.

The intent was for require("..") to prefer a directory instead of doing regular resolution. However, that does not match the documented algorithm which would require a / to invalidate file searching.

I don't have a clear way to explain the current behavior and would like to revert this behavior. We could state that matching /${path_separator}.?./$ at the end of a require specifier would automatically add / but that seems a bit odd.

I want to revert this change.

[jasnell]

ping @nodejs/ctc

[cjihrig]

Is it just a test, or were there changes to the algorithm itself? If it's just a test, could we rework it to be correct? If there were changes to the algorithm, then we might want to update the docs instead.

[bmeck]

The test is invalid since it doesn't match the docs. We need to revert to the original algorithm to fix. I don't want to update docs because the behavior is very odd to me.

[BridgeAR]

As far as I see it the test (and code change) exists since iojs 1.0 and was introduced here 36777d2

[bmeck]

Any way we look at it, we should fix the require("./foo") example above

[jasnell]

I'm +1 for reverting but we need to take a close look at the semver-i-iness of the change.

[bnoordhuis]

The test is invalid since it doesn't match the docs.

The description in the documentation has been at odds with the implementation since at least v0.12, possibly v0.10. See #4595 (comment) for an example.

[jasnell]

@bnoordhuis ... given that, which do you prefer: modifying the docs to match the impl or modifying the impl to match the docs?

[bnoordhuis]

The path of least resistance is to update the documentation; any change to the algorithm will almost certainly result in some fallout.

[bmeck]

How do we cleanly explain that it searches for directory package.json before file extensions but directory index files after file extensions. Mind you the change in the past was also breaking.

…

On Aug 23, 2017 2:23 PM, "Ben Noordhuis" ***@***.***> wrote: The path of least resistance is to update the documentation; any change to the algorithm will almost certainly result in some fallout. — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#14990 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAOUo663MpquVS8NKEyOS12g0P4Tq8p9ks5sbHwbgaJpZM4PAP2W> .

[bmeck]

It should be noted that userland implementations of resolution logic like resolve at 800k downloads per day don't exhibit this behavior.

[mcollina]

@bmeck if that's not too much effort, would you assemble a PR anyway? It is hard to understand the impact of this behaviour without a SHA reference and a full example. I think seeing the actual change you are planning to make would help.

[ljharb]

From a user perspective (and resolve maintainer perspective), the current behavior is very very strange, and I'd vastly prefer the (at least) <= 0.8 behavior.