ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED with ipfs-http-client and typescript. Suggested fixes do not work.

[haydenyoung]

• Version:
  57.0.1

• Platform:
  5.17.5-76051705-generic #202204271406165150484022.04~63e51bd SMP PREEMPT Mon May 2 15: x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

• Subsystem:
  ipfs-http-client

Severity:

Medium

Description:

When attempting to import ipfs-http-client, the following error is thrown:

Error [ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED]: No "exports" main defined in /path/to/dev/node_modules/ipfs-http-client/package.json
    at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:371:5)
    at throwExportsNotFound (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:440:9)
    at packageExportsResolve (node:internal/modules/esm/resolve:645:7)
    at resolveExports (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:482:36)
    at Function.Module._findPath (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:522:31)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:919:27)
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename.sharedData.moduleResolveFilenameHook.installedValue [as _resolveFilename] ( /path/to/dev/node_modules/@cs
potcode/source-map-support/source-map-support.js:679:30)
    at Function.Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:778:27)
    at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1005:19)
    at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:102:18)
    at  /path/to/dev/test/create.ts:14:3
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5) {

The problem appears to be related to the recent ES change. Changing module to "esnext" is not available because I am using Hardhat for the project's management and the HH devs have expressed no short term desire to address the issue.

I have applied the following update to try and load ipfs-http-client (https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs/blob/master/docs/upgrading/v0.62-v0.63.md#esm) and (#4125 (comment)) but without success:

  import("ipfs-http-client")
    .then(module => {
      return module.create();
    })
    .catch(err => {
      console.log(err);
    });

but this gets me back to where I started, I.e. it is console.logging the error ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED.

I have also looked at the dynamic imports documentation https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/import#dynamic_import and have implemented it in exactly the way documented but still no success.

I'm at an impasse. Am I missing something about dynamic imports for non-esm compliant environments?

Steps to reproduce the error:

Install ipfs-http-client to a node project using typescript:

npm i -D ipfs-http-client

Make sure tsconfig.json's compileOptions -> module setting is "commonjs":

module: "commonjs"

Try and dynamically import ipfs-http-client:

try {
  const { create } = await import("ipfs-http-client"); // it will throw ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED here.
} catch (error) {
  console.log(error); // it will error on import.
}

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[ottodevs]

Same error happens to me, but with the package ipfs-core:

Error [ERR_PACKAGE_PATH_NOT_EXPORTED]: No "exports" main defined in node_modules/ipfs-core/package.json

I am also using hardhat typescript project.

Reproduction steps:

1. Start new hardhat project from hardhat boilerplate: npx hardhat init
2. Select typescript project from the options, and continue with other default options.
3. Import ipfs-core in any ts file in the project and try to run it with hardhat or ts-node

[achingbrain]

Please examine the code tsc produces - you cannot use module: "commonjs" as import('ipfs-core') will be transpiled to require('ipfs-core') which fails with No "exports" main....

Instead use at least "module": "ES2020" to have import('ipfs-core') left as import('ipfs-core') and "target": "ES2015" to support #private identifiers.

Better yet use "module": "ES2022" and "target": "ES2022", to be the most future-proof, but please check what your target environment supports.

[haydenyoung]

Unfortunately with projects such as Hardhat (a pretty crucial platform in smart contract dev) having no plans to support ESM short/mid term NomicFoundation/hardhat#1808, it means we're stuck with older versions of IPFS if we want to use it with NFTs and other solidity-related projects. Changing module: and target: is not going to be an option for devs using projects such as Hardhat as their base environment.

My understanding is there is cross-compatibility available between ES and commonjs and IPFS's own documentation even states this is possible (https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs/blob/master/docs/upgrading/v0.62-v0.63.md#esm)

Therefore, there must be a way to solve this problem with an intermediary solution while other projects catch up. My problem is, I have implemented the documented solutions but nothing seems to work and I'm back to the original error no matter what I try.

[achingbrain]

IPFS's own documentation even states this is possible

Dynamic imports are how you import ESM code in a CJS environment and is what the upgrade guide says to use. It's supported in all browsers and node 14+.

If your TypeScript settings transpile the dynamic import to require though , it's not going to work.

To stop that from happening you need "module": "ES2020" and "target": "ES2015".

[haydenyoung]

To stop that from happening you need "module": "ES2020" and "target": "ES2015".

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, I tried this but this breaks a whole bunch of import "side-effects" which Hardhat uses to modularize 3rd party functionality. And even if I resolve this, I then get other export problems so it seems to be a cascading problem.