# Problem

Many Node.js modules include test and example code in their repos. This code needs to require the module itself.

But whereas modules depending on `foobar` can write `require('foobar')`, the test and example code within `foobar` cannot reliably require itself that way. It must use a relative path like `var foobar = require('../..')` instead.

Being able to do `require('foobar')` instead of `require('..')` has a few advantages. The code can be moved around. Example code is a tad clearer and can be reused in a client module without changes. And if you are authoring in TypeScript, then `import foobar = require('foobar')` picks up all the static type info from `foobar.d.ts`, exactly as a client module would see it.

# Solutions
### Solution A: Do development work inside a `node_modules` folder
If you ensure your `foobar` module directory is a direct child of a directory called `node_modules`, then it can require itself using `require('foobar')` and Node's module resolution logic will successfully resolve such a call.

However, if you wish to treat your `node_modules` directories like an artefact that is always safe to clean/delete, this approach is not going to fly. Development work and git repos under `node_modules` may be inadvertently deleted.

### Solution B: Add a self-referencing module to the `node_modules` folder
A straight-forward solution is to add a file called `foobar.js` inside `foobar`'s `node_modules` subdirectory. This file simply contains `module.exports = require('..');`.

You could automate this step using a simple `echo ... ` command in an npm script, but that won't work cross-platform. Another way is to put the equivalent of the `echo...` command into a reliable cross-platform node source file, and call that from an npm script.

Solution B is precisely what `require-self` provides.

# Usage

1. Add `require-self` as a devDependency to your module.
2. Call the `require-self` bin command in your module's `prepare` npm script.
3. Run `npm install`, which will install deps and then run the `prepare` script. (*NOTE:* if you are using npm v3 or lower, you'll have to run the `prepare` script manually, via `npm run prepare`)

The `package.json` for your `foobar` module will end up something like this:
```
{
    "name": "foobar",
	...
    "scripts": {
        "build": "...",
        "prepare": "npm run build && require-self"
    },
    "devDependencies": {
		...
        "require-self": "^0.x"
    }

```

Now all test and example code in the `foobar` module can use `var foobar = require('foobar');`.


## License

The MIT License (MIT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Troy Gerwien

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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