module.exports vs exports in Node.js: What’s the Difference? 🤔

Hey awesome devs! 👋 If you've been working with Node.js modules, you've probably seen both module.exports and exports. But wait… aren’t they the same? 🤯

Well, not exactly! Understanding the difference can save you from hours of debugging and make you a better Node.js developer. In this blog, we’ll break it down in a fun and simple way! 🚀

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📦 What Are module.exports and exports?

Both module.exports and exports are used to export data from a module so that it can be used in other files. But there’s a key difference in how they work. Let’s dive in! 🏊‍♂️

✅ module.exports

• This is the actual object that gets returned when you require() a module.
• You can assign anything to module.exports (object, function, class, etc.).
• Overwriting it completely replaces the exported object.

✅ exports

• exports is just a shortcut/reference to module.exports.
• You can attach properties to exports, but you can’t overwrite it directly.

Confused? Don’t worry! Let’s look at some examples. 😃

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🚀 Example 1: Using module.exports

// file: math.js
function add(a, b) {
    return a + b;
}

module.exports = add; // Exporting a single function

📂 Importing in Another File

// file: app.js
const add = require('./math');

console.log(add(5, 3)); // Output: 8

🧐 What’s Happening?

• We assigned add directly to module.exports.
• When we require('./math'), we get only the function.

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🚀 Example 2: Using exports

// file: utils.js
exports.greet = function(name) {
    return `Hello, ${name}!`;
};

exports.farewell = function(name) {
    return `Goodbye, ${name}!`;
};

📂 Importing in Another File

// file: app.js
const utils = require('./utils');

console.log(utils.greet('Alice')); // Output: Hello, Alice!
console.log(utils.farewell('Bob')); // Output: Goodbye, Bob!

🧐 What’s Happening?

• We added properties to exports, instead of overwriting it.
• When we require('./utils'), we get an object with multiple functions.

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🚨 Common Mistake: Overwriting exports

// file: wrong.js
exports = function() {
    return 'This will not work!';
};

📂 Importing in Another File

// file: app.js
const wrong = require('./wrong');

console.log(wrong); // Output: {} (empty object) 😱

❌ Why Doesn’t This Work?

• exports is just a shortcut to module.exports.
• When you do exports = ..., you break the reference!
• Always use module.exports when exporting a single item.

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🎯 When to Use What?

Scenario	Use
Exporting a single function, class, or object	module.exports = something;
Exporting multiple functions or properties	exports.property = something;

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🚀 Final Thoughts

Both module.exports and exports help us share code across files, but knowing their differences will save you from confusing bugs. Remember:

• ✅ Use module.exports when exporting a single item.
• ✅ Use exports to attach multiple properties.
• ❌ Don’t assign directly to exports—it won’t work!

This is just the beginning! In the next article, we’ll explore ES Modules—stay tuned! 🎯

If you found this blog helpful, make sure to follow me on GitHub 👉 github.com/sovannaro and drop a ⭐. Your support keeps me motivated to create more awesome content! 🚀

Happy coding! 💻🔥