how to require from URL in Node.js

Question

Is there a standard way to require a Node module located at some URL (not on the local filesystem)?

Something like:

require(\'http://example.com/node         


        

Answer 1

You can fetch module using http.get method and execute it in the sandbox using vm module methods runInThisContext and runInNewContext.

Example

var http = require('http')
  , vm = require('vm')
  , concat = require('concat-stream'); // this is just a helper to receive the
                                       // http payload in a single callback
                                       // see https://www.npmjs.com/package/concat-stream

http.get({
    host: 'example.com', 
    port: 80, 
    path: '/hello.js'
  }, 
  function(res) {
    res.setEncoding('utf8');
    res.pipe(concat({ encoding: 'string' }, function(remoteSrc) {
      vm.runInThisContext(remoteSrc, 'remote_modules/hello.js');
    }));
});

IMO, execution of the remote code inside server application runtime may be reasonable in the case without alternatives. And only if you trust to the remote service and the network between.