doc: Error for "." and ".." specifiers differs from documented Resolver Algorithm

• Version: ✍️

16.7.0

• Platform: ✍️

Linux penguin 5.4.119-14945-gafc97d54f809 #1 SMP PREEMPT Tue Aug 10 21:49:04 PDT 2021 x86_64 GNU/Linux

• Subsystem: ✍️

module

Location

Affected URL(s):

• https://nodejs.org/api/esm.html#esm_resolver_algorithm_specification

Description

I'm not sure if this is a bug with the ESM resolver or with the docs but basically if we do:

import foo from ".";

Then Node throws a ERR_UNSUPPORTED_DIR_IMPORT error, based on a reading of the Resolver Algorithm I expected this to be ERR_INVALID_MODULE_SPECIFIER.

As CommonJS already treats require(".") and require("..") as directory imports the current behaviour in Node is probably the best, so the docs should be updated to reflect it. This would involve changing ESM_RESOLVE step 3 to:

• Otherwise, if specifier starts with "/", "./" or "../", or specifier equals "." or ".." then

Although if the current documented behaviour is the intended behaviour then the error needs updating.

Start with the ESM Resolver Algorithm specification at the linked esm.html section and compare step 3 with the observed import behavior for "." and "..". Confirm whether the documented algorithm or the runtime behavior is intended, then update the documentation so the algorithm and reported error agree; the issue is done when the documented result matches Node's behavior.