How to use node_modules within Electron?

Question

Using electron in combination with Angular2, Typescript and Electron I am try to find out how to use a node module package installed via npm. The current problem is that I have to specify the location of the module like var module = require('./node_modules/xyz/lib/xyz.js'). But then electron does not find the dependencies of xyz, which are located within ./node_modules/xyz/node_modules/yyy and complains ./yyy.js can not be found.

The electron app structure

dist  
├── angular2.dev.js   
├── config.js  
├── index.html  
├── main.js  
├── node_modules  
├── package.json  
└── app.js  

Answer 1

UPDATE:

A similar question has been asked and my answer would most probably help you here:

If you don't append the path to your app node_modules directory under your app root to the NODE_PATH variable it is not going to work. So you need to do something like this:

export NODE_PATH=/PATH/TO/APP/node_modules
electron /PATH/TO/APP

When exporting NODE_PATH make sure that you provide an absolute path.

---

requirepackage.jsonevendist

So make sure that you are inside dist directory and use

npm install --save xyz

note the --save flag!

Answer 2

The current problem is that I have to specify the location of the module like var module = require('./node_modules/xyz/lib/xyz.js')

You should be able to do var module = require('xyz'); If you have it locates in the relative path ./node_modules/ .... that you mentioned.

Answer 3

If you didn't include the modules in your package.json I found it easiest to just copy all of them to node_modules in your release. It's something like releases > ARCHITECTURE > resources > node_modules

Answer 4

According to electron's docs, set the nodeIntegration preference to true. Do this by adding

webPreferences: {
  nodeIntegration: true
}

to your createWindow() function.