Allow dynamic usage of `import = require` syntax

🔍 Search Terms

dynamic import, require, verbatimmodulesyntax

✅ Viability Checklist

• This wouldn't be a breaking change in existing TypeScript/JavaScript code
• This wouldn't change the runtime behavior of existing JavaScript code
• This could be implemented without emitting different JS based on the types of the expressions
• This isn't a runtime feature (e.g. library functionality, non-ECMAScript syntax with JavaScript output, new syntax sugar for JS, etc.)
• This isn't a request to add a new utility type: https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/No-New-Utility-Types
• This feature would agree with the rest of our Design Goals: https://github.com/Microsoft/TypeScript/wiki/TypeScript-Design-Goals

⭐ Suggestion

I propose that import = require() should be allowed anywhere a require() statement is allowed (under appropriate module settings).

function foo() {
   import foo = require('./module.js');
}

📃 Motivating Example

I've been trying to convert a commonjs project to verbatimModuleSyntax. Currently dynamic JSON imports are written as

function foo() {
   const json = await import('./foo.json');
}

which are rewritten as Promise.resolve().then(() => require('./foo.json')); by TS due to my module setting. The import() syntax currently has the advantage that TS statically analyzes and provides types for the imported JSON.

I'd like to convert the JSON import to a require() call, however, a bare require() loses static analysis. Therefore, I'd like to be able to use

function foo() {
   import json = require('./foo.json');
}

in order to have type inference and static analysis of the json file (also to have it copied to the output build).

(using a node import()-from-CJS is not available to me at this time)

💻 Use Cases

1. What do you want to use this for? dynamic require()s with static analysis, under verbatimModuleSyntax
2. What shortcomings exist with current approaches? No static analysis of dynamic require()s.
3. What workarounds are you using in the meantime? Not using verbatimModuleSyntax

Somewhat relates to https://github.com/microsoft/TypeScript/issues/60598

Start by reviewing the related issue #60598 and the current handling of dynamic import(), require(), and verbatimModuleSyntax. The change is done when function-scoped import = require() is accepted under appropriate module settings while preserving static analysis and JSON output behavior.