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Node.js fully supports ECMAScript modules as they are currently specified. [S1]

ESM support

Node.js fully supports ECMAScript modules as they are currently specified. [S1]

Relation to CommonJS

CommonJS modules are the original way to package JavaScript code for Node.js. [S2]

Node.js also supports the ECMAScript modules standard used by browsers. [S2]

Claims

• id: C1 claim: Node fully supports ESM. source: S1 evidence: "Node.js fully supports ECMAScript modules as they are currently specified"

• id: C2 claim: CommonJS was the original packaging style. source: S2 evidence: "CommonJS modules are the original way to package JavaScript code for Node.js."

• id: C3 claim: Each file is treated as a module. source: S2 evidence: "In Node.js, each file is treated as a separate module."

• id: C4 claim: ESM is also used by browsers. source: S2 evidence: "ECMAScript modules standard used by browsers"

Sources

• [S1] Modules: ECMAScript modules. Node.js. https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html . License: MIT. Accessed 2026-11-06.

• [S2] Modules: CommonJS modules. Node.js. https://nodejs.org/api/modules.html . License: MIT. Accessed 2026-11-06.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Copyright Node.js contributors. MIT (https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/LICENSE).

@misc{iil_note_cw5amhsy,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{ECMAScript modules in Node.js}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-06},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/node-esm/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:cw5amhsy. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

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