Is there a way to execute a JavaScript file within another JavaScript file?

Question

Is there a way to execute a JavaScript file within another JavaScript file?

I'm in the process of developing a text-based game through the console, utilizing an NPM package known as "prompts" to prompt the user for input. One specific question it asks is, "What OS do you want to run?" and returns the selection as JSON data. For instance, if the user chooses "OS 1", the response would be { Bootup: "StartOS1" }. My goal is to execute different JavaScript files based on this selection using an if statement:


if(Bootup == "StartOS1") {
 // Insert code to execute another JS file here.
}

However, I'm uncertain what to include within this section.

Initially, I attempted to achieve this task with the help of a separate NPM package titled shelljs, which allows for shell execution:


const shell = require('shelljs')

if(Bootup == "StartOS1") {
  shell.exec('node OS1.js')
}

Unfortunately, this approach resulted in my shell becoming unresponsive and stuck at a blank line indefinitely, requiring a system restart. This situation highlights the essence of what I'm striving to accomplish.

javascript powershell npm prompt

Answer 1

Answer №1

shell.exec('node OS1.js') is a synchronous function that can cause your program to become blocked. If your JavaScript file is waiting for an event, it may prevent your functions from running properly. A better alternative is to use the exec() method from the child_process module:

const { exec } = require('child_process');

exec('node OS1.js', (error, stdout, stderr) => {
    if (error) {
        console.error(`exec error: ${error}`);
        return;
    }
    console.log(`stdout: ${stdout}`);
    console.error(`stderr: ${stderr}`);
});

While there are other methods available, this approach involves reading the JavaScript file as a string and then executing it using the synchronous eval function. However, it's worth noting that using eval is not considered best practice due to security concerns.

const fs = require('fs');
fs.readFile('./node OS1.js', 'utf8', function(err, data) {
    if (err) {
        console.error(err);
        return;
    }
    eval(data);
});

Answer 2

shell.exec('node OS1.js') is a synchronous function that can cause your program to become blocked. If your JavaScript file is waiting for an event, it may prevent your functions from running properly. A better alternative is to use the exec() method from the child_process module:

const { exec } = require('child_process');

exec('node OS1.js', (error, stdout, stderr) => {
    if (error) {
        console.error(`exec error: ${error}`);
        return;
    }
    console.log(`stdout: ${stdout}`);
    console.error(`stderr: ${stderr}`);
});

While there are other methods available, this approach involves reading the JavaScript file as a string and then executing it using the synchronous eval function. However, it's worth noting that using eval is not considered best practice due to security concerns.

const fs = require('fs');
fs.readFile('./node OS1.js', 'utf8', function(err, data) {
    if (err) {
        console.error(err);
        return;
    }
    eval(data);
});

Is there a way to execute a JavaScript file within another JavaScript file?

Answer №1

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