module.exports vs exports in Node.js

Question

I\'ve found the following contract in a Node.js module:

module.exports = exports = nano = function database_module(cfg) {...}

I wonder what

Answer 1

I just make some test, it turns out that, inside nodejs's module code, it should something like this:

var module.exports = {};
var exports = module.exports;

so:

1:

exports = function(){}; // this will not work! as it make the exports to some other pointer
module.exports = function(){}; // it works! cause finally nodejs make the module.exports to export.

2:

exports.abc = function(){}; // works!
exports.efg = function(){}; // works!

3: but, while in this case

module.exports = function(){}; // from now on we have to using module.exports to attach more stuff to exports.
module.exports.a = 'value a'; // works
exports.b = 'value b'; // the b will nerver be seen cause of the first line of code we have do it before (or later)