[javascript] Can I access variables from another file?

Is it possible to use a variable in a file called first.js inside another file called second.js?

first.js contains a variable called colorcodes.

This question is related to javascript scope

The answer is


I did like what answer above said but although, it didn't worked with me

because I was declaring these variables inside JQuery $( document ).ready()

so make sure you declare your variables inside the <script> tag not somewhere else


Using Node.js you can export the variable via module.

//first.js
const colorCode = {
    black: "#000",
    white: "#fff"
};
module.exports = { colorCode };

Then, import the module/variable in second file using require.

//second.js
const { colorCode } = require('./first.js')

You can use the import and export aproach from ES6 using Webpack/Babel, but in Node.js you need to enable a flag, and uses the .mjs extension.


This is quite an old question, but I'm going to provide a modern solution that's been available since ES6 - export and import:

In first.js:

let colorcodes = <whatever>;
export default colorcodes //or a different export statement

In second.js:

import colorcodes from <path-to-first.js> //or a matching import statement

You can export the variable from first file using export.

//first.js
const colorCode = {
    black: "#000",
    white: "#fff"
};
export { colorCode };

Then, import the variable in second file using import.

//second.js
import { colorCode } from './first.js'

export - MDN


This should work - define a global variable in firstfile and access it from secondfile:

<script src="/firstfile.js"></script>
<script src="/secondfile.js"></script>

firstfile.js:

var colors = {
   text:'#000000',
   background:'#aaaaaa',
   something_else:'blue'
};

secondfile.js:

do_something_with(colors.background);

Note that the order in which you load the script files is significant for some browsers (IE6 for sure, maybe others)


I may be doing this a little differently. I'm not sure why I use this syntax, copied it from some book a long time ago. But each of my js files defines a variable. The first file, for no reason at all, is called R:

    var R = 
    { 
        somevar: 0,
        othervar: -1,

        init: function() {
          ...
        } // end init function

        somefunction: function(somearg) {
          ...
        }  // end somefunction

        ...

    }; // end variable R definition


    $( window ).load(function() {
       R.init();
    })

And then if I have a big piece of code that I want to segregate, I put it in a separate file and a different variable name, but I can still reference the R variables and functions. I called the new one TD for no good reason at all:

    var TD = 
    { 
        xvar: 0,
        yvar: -1,

        init: function() {
           ...
        } // end init function

        sepfunction: function() {
           ...
           R.somefunction(xvar);
           ...
        }  // end somefunction

        ...

    }; // end variable TD definition


    $( window ).load(function() {
       TD.init();
    })

You can see that where in the TD 'sepfunction' I call the R.somefunction. I realize this doesn't give any runtime efficiencies because both scripts to need to load, but it does help me keep my code organized.


One best way is by using window.INITIAL_STATE

<script src="/firstfile.js">
    // first.js
    window.__INITIAL_STATE__ = {
      back  : "#fff",
      front : "#888",
      side  : "#369"
    };
</script>
<script src="/secondfile.js">
    //second.js
    console.log(window.__INITIAL_STATE__)
    alert (window.__INITIAL_STATE__);
</script>

If you store your colorcodes in a global variable you should be able to access it from either javascript file.


I came across amplify.js. It's really simple to use. To store a value, let's call it "myValue", you do:

amplify.store("myKey", "myValue")

And to access it, you do

amplify.store("myKey")