Question

127

Buffer not found in Node.JS browser code

rated 0 times [ 132] [ 5] / answers: 1 / hits: 34831 / 8 Years ago, sat, december 17, 2016, 12:00:00

I want to use a node.js function on the browser with browserify. In my code, there is a line as follows:

var x = new Buffer('abc..', 'hex')

However, this causes an error ReferenceError: Buffer is not defined. I tried to install [buffer-browserify][1] and include it like this:

var Buffer = require('buffer');

but now I get the error Error: Cannot find module 'buffer'..

so -how- can I use the Buffer class in browser javascript?

Thanks for any help,

Update:

In order to build it with browserify, I created an input.js file as follows:

var Buffer = require('buffer');

console.log(Buffer);

and I tried to build it with browserify input.js -o output.js and I included output.js in my browser code, it prints the Buffer variable. However, I still get the same error (ReferenceError: Buffer is not defined) when I try to use it.

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rossthomasn

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answered 8 Years ago carrington · Accepted Answer

This is understandably confusing, but here's how to make it work, with some explanatory bullets.

1) Create your source javascript file

// app.js file

var privateKey = new Buffer('abcdef00', 'hex')

console.log(privateKey.toString('hex'))

Not you do not need a require('Buffer') call here. Browserify will make some of the node.js core globals available automatically. Since Buffer is a global in npm (meaning you don't have to call require to use it), you can just use it directly.

This will print the key to the console

2) Browserify it from the command line

npm install --save browserify

$(npm bin)/browserify app.js > app-browser.js

3) Reference app-browser.js from an HTML file

<!-- index.html -->

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>Browserify buffer</title>

</head>

<body>

<h1>Browserify Buffer</h1>

<script src=app-browser.js>

</script>

</body>

</html>