Module

An experimental Javascript loader

This is a toy javascript loader that has not had the benefit of extensive browser testing. Since it was begun, several better options have appeared.

Major Flaws

• Lacks extensive testing (although it has a test suite that passes on several browers).
• Misnamed; not an actual module system; just handles dependent file loading.
• Still placed in my personal company 'CGD' namespace.
• Internal exceptions leak to the console in several browsers.
• Require explicitly naming the module the same as the file.

Goals

• Express file-level dependencies - e.g. if I depend on A, I shouldn't have to care that it depends on B.
• Load javascript by script-tag insertion.
• Load existing javascript with minimal modification (e.g. no function wrapping)
• Express dependencies on distant paths (not at the same directory level or below)
• It supports a sub-directory grouping to reduce the length of typed out paths.
• Support parallel loading.
• Partial CommonJS compatibility.
• Load CSS files.

Contributions

Most this should be pretty standard. The two novel features are:

• The notation "new Module" which attempts to go with the JS grain.
• The exception-reload technique

Exception-Reload

Files should contain a header to express dependancies. 'leaf' modules require no modification. The header takes the form of "new Module" with the module name (which must match the file name) and a function which imperitively sets the dependencies.

new CGD.Module('module', function(m) {
  m.enqueue('./child');
});

If the 'child' module is not yet available, script loading will be aborted by raising an exception. If the browser supports the onerror event, this exception will be filtered out before reaching the console.

The failed module function will be retried by one of two means:

• all child dependencies complete
• timeout

If the module function runs without error the first time (e.g. executing the file), it will simply allow the file to continue. If it runs without error on a retry, a new script tag will be inserted to-run the file.