Node Modules - exporting a variable versus exporting functions that reference it?

Question

Easiest to explain with code:

##### module.js
var count, incCount, setCount, showCount;
count = 0; 

showCount = function() {
 return console.log(count);
};
incC         


        

Answer 1

exports.count = count

Your setting a property count on an object exports to be the value of count. I.e. 0.

Everything is pass by value not pass by reference.

If you were to define count as a getter like such :

Object.defineProperty(exports, "count", {
  get: function() { return count; }
});

Then exports.count would always return the current value of count and thus be 11