How to Fix cannot find name ‘ require’ Error in TypeScript

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Cannot find name ‘require’ error occurs when you “try to use the require() function, which is a part of the CommonJS module system, but TypeScript is unaware of it.”

How to fix the cannot find name ‘require’ error?

Here is the step-by-step guide to fix the cannot find name ‘ require’ error in TypeScript.

Step 1: Install the Node.js type definitions

You can install the type definitions for Node.js by running the following command:

npm install --save-dev @types/node

This command installs the @types/node package, which contains the type definitions for Node.js APIs, including the require() function.

Step 2: Update your tsconfig.json file

In your tsconfig.json file, add the “node” value to the “types” array in the “compilerOptions” object. This tells TypeScript to include the type definitions for Node.js.

{
  "compilerOptions": {
     "module": "commonjs",
     "target": "es6",
     "types": ["node"],
   // ... other options ...
   },
  // ... other configurations ...
}

If the “types” property is not present in the “compilerOptions” object, add it.

Step 3: Restart your TypeScript compiler or IDE

After making the changes, restart your TypeScript compiler or IDE to ensure the new configurations are applied.

Now, TypeScript should recognize the require() function without any issues.

Use ES6 Imports

If possible, consider using ES6 imports instead of require. For example, instead of:

const fs = require('fs');

Use:

import * as fs from 'fs';

Allow require globally

If you don’t want to use Node.js types but still want to suppress this error, you can tell TypeScript to allow undeclared variables (including require()). Add this to the top of your TypeScript file:

declare var require: any;

This is a less ideal solution because you’re bypassing TypeScript’s type system, but it can be a quick fix in some situations.

Check your tsconfig.json

Ensure that the module option in your tsconfig.json is set to CommonJS if you’re using Node.js:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "module": "CommonJS"
  }
}

Also, if your tsconfig.json has the noImplicitAny option set to true, you might get this error if TypeScript doesn’t know about the require() function. The above steps should help in that case.

Check for typos or incorrect paths

Ensure you do not have a typo in the module name or the path you’re trying to require.

I hope this will fix your issues!