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Is braces ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Bash-like brace expansion, implemented in JavaScript. Safer than other brace expansion libs, with complete support for the Bash 4.3 braces specification, without sacrificing speed.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against braces@3.0.3. Markdown · JSON

CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test

braces ships CommonJS only. require("braces") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=8. import "braces" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

What to do

  1. require("braces") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=8.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import braces from "braces"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/braces
Latest
3.0.3 (May 21, 2024)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
3.0.3
TypeScript types
@types/braces
Node engines
>=8
Weekly downloads
149.7M
License
MIT

Does braces@3.0.3 actually load? Runtime test results

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("braces") from a CommonJS file and import "braces" from an ES module.

Runtimerequire("braces")import "braces"
Node.js 18✓ works✓ works
Node.js 20✓ works✓ works
Node.js 22✓ works✓ works
Node.js 24✓ works✓ works
Node.js 26✓ works✓ works
Bun 1.4.0✓ works✓ works

How to import braces

ES modules (import)

import braces from "braces";

Named imports from a CommonJS package only work when Node.js can statically detect them. If a named import fails, use the default import and destructure.

CommonJS (require)

const braces = require("braces");

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm, corrected where a runtime test of that version contradicted them (37 versions; the newest 37 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.1.0 – 3.0.3CommonJSOct 20, 2014

Frequently asked

Is braces ESM-only?

braces@3.0.3 is a CommonJS package. braces ships CommonJS only. require("braces") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=8. import "braces" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

Can I import braces with ES module syntax?

Yes. import braces from "braces" works in Node.js and Bun because they support importing CommonJS modules. Named imports work only when Node.js can statically detect the exports.

Does braces work in Bun?

Yes. import "braces" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does braces ship TypeScript types?

Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/braces".

Links

Other commonjs packages

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