Getting Unexpected Token Export

Question

I am trying to run some ES6 code in my project but I am getting an unexpected token export error.

export class MyClass {
  constructor() {
    console.log("es6");
  }
}

Answer 1

You are using ES6 Module syntax.

This means your environment (e.g. node.js) must support ES6 Module syntax.

NodeJS uses CommonJS Module syntax (module.exports) not ES6 module syntax (export keyword).

Solution:

• Use babel npm package to transpile your ES6 to a commonjs target

or

• Refactor with CommonJS syntax.

Answer 2

In case you get this error it might also be related to how you included the javascript file into your html page. When loading modules you have to explicitly declare those files as such. Here an example:

//module.js:
function foo(){
   return "foo";
}

var bar = "bar";

export { foo, bar };

When you include the script like this:

<script src="module.js"></script>

You will get the error:

Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected token export

You need to include the file with a type attribute set to "module":

<script type="module" src="module.js"></script>

And then it will work as expected and you are ready to import your module in another module:

import { foo, bar } from  "./module.js";

console.log( foo() );
console.log( bar );

Answer 3

To use ES6 add babel-preset-env

and in your .babelrc:

{
  "presets": ["@babel/preset-env"]
}

Answer updated thanks to @ghanbari comment to apply babel 7.

Answer 4

Install the babel packages @babel/core and @babel/preset which will convert ES6 to a commonjs target as node js doesn't understand ES6 targets directly.

npm install --save-dev @babel/core @babel/preset-env

Then you need to create one configuration file with name .babelrc in your project's root directory and add this code there

{ "presets": ["@babel/preset-env"] }

Answer 5

Using ES6 syntax does not work in node, unfortunately, you have to have babel apparently to make the compiler understand syntax such as export or import.

npm install babel-cli --save

Now we need to create a .babelrc file, in the babelrc file, we’ll set babel to use the es2015 preset we installed as its preset when compiling to ES5.

At the root of our app, we’ll create a .babelrc file. $ npm install babel-preset-es2015 --save

At the root of our app, we’ll create a .babelrc file.

{  "presets": ["es2015"] }

Hope it works ... :)