Nodejs ES6: export default vs export group

When working with TypeScript in Node.js, you may come across the need to export modules from your code. Two common ways to export modules in ES6 are using the export default syntax and the export keyword to group multiple exports together. In this article, we will explore the differences between these two approaches and when to use each one.

Export Default

The export default syntax allows you to export a single value or object as the default export of a module. This means that when importing the module, you can choose any name for the imported value.

Here’s an example:

// module.js
const myValue = 'Hello, World!';
export default myValue;

// main.js
import myCustomName from './module.js';
console.log(myCustomName); // Output: Hello, World!

In the above code, we export the myValue variable as the default export of the module.js file. When importing it in the main.js file, we assign it to a custom name myCustomName.

Export Group

The export keyword allows you to group multiple exports together in a single statement. This is useful when you want to export multiple values or objects from a module.

Here’s an example:

// module.js
export const value1 = 'Hello';
export const value2 = 'World';

// main.js
import { value1, value2 } from './module.js';
console.log(value1, value2); // Output: Hello World

In the above code, we export two variables value1 and value2 from the module.js file. When importing them in the main.js file, we use the curly braces {} to specify the names of the variables we want to import.

When to Use Each Approach

The choice between export default and export group depends on the specific requirements of your project.

Use export default when:

• You want to export a single value or object as the default export.
• You want to provide a more flexible import syntax, allowing the imported value to have any name.

Use export group when:

• You want to export multiple values or objects from a module.
• You want to specify the names of the imported values explicitly.

By understanding the differences between export default and export group, you can choose the appropriate approach for your specific needs in TypeScript development.