Module.exports vs plain json for config files

I see multiple ways to create config files in Node.js. One uses module.exports in js file, one just use plain json object.

我看到在Node.js中创建配置文件的多种方法。一个在js文件中使用module.exports，一个只使用普通的json对象。

// config1.js
module.exports = {
  config_1: "value 1",
  config_2: "value 2"
}

// config2.json
{
  "config_1": "value 1",
  "config_2": "value 2"
}

Is there any advantages of using module.exports in config file? What are the differences?

在配置文件中使用module.exports有什么好处吗？有什么区别？

3 个解决方案

#1

javascript CommonJS Module

• comments
• 注释
• conditionals
• 条件语句
• loops and such to populate defaults
• 循环等，以填充默认值
• code to change config based on NODE_ENV or similar
• 用于根据NODE_ENV或类似内容更改配置的代码
• code to look for external files for SSL keys, API credentials, etc
• 用于查找SSL密钥，API凭据等外部文件的代码
• easier to have fallbacks and defaults
• 更容易有后备和默认值

JSON file

• easy to parse and update with external tools
• 易于使用外部工具进行解析和更新
• compatible with pretty much every programming language out there
• 几乎兼容所有编程语言
• pure data that can be loaded without being executed
• 可以在不执行的情况下加载的纯数据
• easy to pretty print
• 易于打印
• JSON could start as the basis and all the code items described above about CommonJS module could live in a config.js module that reads config.json as it's starting point
• JSON可以作为基础开始，上面描述的关于CommonJS模块的所有代码项都可以存在于config.js模块中，该模块读取config.json作为它的起点

So I always start with a commonjs module for the convenience, but keep any logic in there simple. If your config.js has bugs and needs tests, it's probably too complicated. KISS. If I know for a fact other things are going to want poke around in my config, I'll use a JSON file.

所以我总是从一个commonjs模块开始，以方便，但保持任何逻辑简单。如果你的config.js有bug并需要测试，那可能太复杂了。吻。如果我知道其他事情需要在我的配置中查找，我将使用JSON文件。

#2

Thanks @jonathan-ong, looks like config.js (NOT JSON file) works as expected and I could put some comments.

谢谢@ jonathan-ong，看起来像config.js（NOT JSON文件）按预期工作，我可以发表一些评论。

module.exports = {

  // Development Environment

  development: {
    database: {
      host: '127.0.0.1',
      login: 'dev',
      password: 'dev'
    }
  },

  // Production Environment

  production: {
    database: {
      host: '127.0.0.1',
      login: 'prod',
      password: 'prod'
    }
  }
};

#3

js files have their own perks as @Peter Lyons mentioned. But if I don't have to access external resources for API keys and etc. I would prefer JSON for config files.

js文件有自己的特权，如提到的@Peter Lyons。但是，如果我不必访问API密钥等的外部资源，我更喜欢配置文件的JSON。

Simple reason being I would not have to touch my code for just for the sake of making changes to config files. I can simply make an API to edit these json files to add,update or remove any configuration key-value pair. Even add whole new config file for a separate environment using an API.

简单的原因是我不必为了更改配置文件而触摸我的代码。我可以简单地创建一个API来编辑这些json文件，以添加，更新或删除任何配置键值对。甚至可以使用API​​为单独的环境添加全新的配置文件。

And use config module to consume these configurations

并使用配置模块来使用这些配置