-## Global Objects
+# Global Objects
-These object are available in the global scope and can be accessed from anywhere.
+<!-- type=misc -->
-### global
+These objects are available in all modules. Some of these objects aren't
+actually in the global scope but in the module scope - this will be noted.
-The global namespace object.
+## Class: Buffer
-### process
+<!-- type=global -->
-The process object. See the `'process object'` section.
+* {Function}
-### require()
+Used to handle binary data. See the [buffer section][].
-To require modules. See the `'Modules'` section.
+## \_\_dirname
-### require.resolve()
+<!-- type=var -->
-Use the internal `require()` machinery to look up the location of a module,
-but rather than loading the module, just return the resolved filename.
+* {String}
+
+The name of the directory that the currently executing script resides in.
-### require.paths
+Example: running `node example.js` from `/Users/mjr`
-An array of search paths for `require()`. This array can be modified to add
-custom paths.
+```js
+console.log(__dirname);
+// /Users/mjr
+```
-Example: add a new path to the beginning of the search list
+`__dirname` isn't actually a global but rather local to each module.
- require.paths.unshift('/usr/local/node');
+## \_\_filename
+<!-- type=var -->
-### __filename
+* {String}
-The filename of the script being executed. This is the absolute path, and not necessarily
-the same filename passed in as a command line argument.
+The filename of the code being executed. This is the resolved absolute path
+of this code file. For a main program this is not necessarily the same
+filename used in the command line. The value inside a module is the path
+to that module file.
Example: running `node example.js` from `/Users/mjr`
- console.log(__filename);
- // /Users/mjr/example.js
+```js
+console.log(__filename);
+// /Users/mjr/example.js
+```
-### __dirname
+`__filename` isn't actually a global but rather local to each module.
-The dirname of the script being executed.
+## clearImmediate(immediateObject)
-Example: running `node example.js` from `/Users/mjr`
+<!--type=global-->
+
+[`clearImmediate`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+## clearInterval(intervalObject)
+
+<!--type=global-->
+
+[`clearInterval`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+## clearTimeout(timeoutObject)
+
+<!--type=global-->
+
+[`clearTimeout`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+## console
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+* {Object}
- console.log(__dirname);
- // /Users/mjr
+Used to print to stdout and stderr. See the [`console`][] section.
+## exports
-### module
+<!-- type=var -->
+
+A reference to the `module.exports` that is shorter to type.
+See [module system documentation][] for details on when to use `exports` and
+when to use `module.exports`.
+
+`exports` isn't actually a global but rather local to each module.
+
+See the [module system documentation][] for more information.
+
+## global
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+* {Object} The global namespace object.
+
+In browsers, the top-level scope is the global scope. That means that in
+browsers if you're in the global scope `var something` will define a global
+variable. In Node.js this is different. The top-level scope is not the global
+scope; `var something` inside an Node.js module will be local to that module.
+
+## module
+
+<!-- type=var -->
+
+* {Object}
A reference to the current module. In particular
-`module.exports` is the same as the `exports` object. See `src/node.js`
-for more information.
+`module.exports` is used for defining what a module exports and makes
+available through `require()`.
+
+`module` isn't actually a global but rather local to each module.
+
+See the [module system documentation][] for more information.
+
+## process
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+* {Object}
+
+The process object. See the [`process` object][] section.
+
+## require()
+
+<!-- type=var -->
+
+* {Function}
+
+To require modules. See the [Modules][] section. `require` isn't actually a
+global but rather local to each module.
+
+### require.cache
+
+* {Object}
+
+Modules are cached in this object when they are required. By deleting a key
+value from this object, the next `require` will reload the module.
+
+### require.extensions
+
+ Stability: 0 - Deprecated
+
+* {Object}
+
+Instruct `require` on how to handle certain file extensions.
+
+Process files with the extension `.sjs` as `.js`:
+
+```js
+require.extensions['.sjs'] = require.extensions['.js'];
+```
+
+**Deprecated** In the past, this list has been used to load
+non-JavaScript modules into Node.js by compiling them on-demand.
+However, in practice, there are much better ways to do this, such as
+loading modules via some other Node.js program, or compiling them to
+JavaScript ahead of time.
+
+Since the Module system is locked, this feature will probably never go
+away. However, it may have subtle bugs and complexities that are best
+left untouched.
+
+### require.resolve()
+
+Use the internal `require()` machinery to look up the location of a module,
+but rather than loading the module, just return the resolved filename.
+
+## setImmediate(callback[, arg][, ...])
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+[`setImmediate`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+## setInterval(callback, delay[, arg][, ...])
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+[`setInterval`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+## setTimeout(callback, delay[, arg][, ...])
+
+<!-- type=global -->
+
+[`setTimeout`] is described in the [timers][] section.
+
+[`console`]: console.html
+[`process` object]: process.html#process_process
+[buffer section]: buffer.html
+[module system documentation]: modules.html
+[Modules]: modules.html#modules_modules
+[timers]: timers.html
+[`clearImmediate`]: timers.html#timers_clearimmediate_immediateobject
+[`clearInterval`]: timers.html#timers_clearinterval_intervalobject
+[`clearTimeout`]: timers.html#timers_cleartimeout_timeoutobject
+[`setImmediate`]: timers.html#timers_setimmediate_callback_arg
+[`setInterval`]: timers.html#timers_setinterval_callback_delay_arg
+[`setTimeout`]: timers.html#timers_settimeout_callback_delay_arg
projects / platform / upstream / nodejs.git / blobdiff