CommonJS
project to standardize the module ecosystem for JavaScript outside of web browsers
CommonJS is a project to standardize the module ecosystem for JavaScript outside of web browsers (e.g. on web servers or native desktop applications).
CommonJS's specification of how modules should work is widely used today for server-side JavaScript with Node.js. It is also used for browser-side JavaScript, but that code must be packaged with a transpiler since browsers don't support CommonJS. The other major module specification in use is the ECMAScript (ES) modules specification (ES6 modules aka ES2015 modules). CommonJS can be recognized by the use of the require() function and module.exports, while ES modules use import and export statements for similar (though not identical) functionality.
History
The project was started by Mozilla engineer Kevin Dangoor in January, 2009 and initially named ServerJS.
What I’m describing here is not a technical problem. It’s a matter of people getting together and making a decision to step forward and start building up something bigger and cooler together.
In August 2009, the project was renamed CommonJS to show the broader applicability of the APIs. Specifications are created and approved in an open process. A specification is only considered final after it has been finished by multiple implementations.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “CommonJS” as project to standardize the module ecosystem for JavaScript outside of web browsers. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as project to standardize the module ecosystem for JavaScript outside of web browsers. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5153271. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2009.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “CommonJS”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow CommonJS primary sources, CommonJS archive and CommonJS research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “CommonJS” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.