Can I reload a module in Node.js?

If you've ever tried to reload a module in Node.js, you might have noticed that it's not as straightforward as you might expect. Node.js caches modules after they are loaded, so subsequent require() calls return the cached module instead of loading it again. This can be useful for performance reasons, but it can also be a hindrance when you want to reload a module.

Luckily, the require cache can be accessed via require.cache, allowing you to manipulate it as needed. Simply using delete, you can remove a module from the cache, if it exists, allowing you to load it fresh the next time you call require().

const requireUncached = module => {
  delete require.cache[require.resolve(module)];
  return require(module);
};

const fs = requireUncached('fs');
// 'fs' will be loaded fresh every time