Can't import retoolrpc using cjs on Node 22

[benweissmann]

Node 22 read an imported file's nearest package.json to determine whether it's a cjs or mjs module. The retoolrpc package contains a malformed package.json file in dist/cjs/package.json: the contents are "{\"type\":\"commonjs\"}" (double-JSON-encoded; appears to be a bug on this line where you're both explicitly JSON.stringify-ing, and using fs.writeFileJSON).

This causes an error when importing the module with commonjs in Node 22:

Error: Invalid package config .../node_modules/retoolrpc/dist/cjs/package.json.
    at Object.getNearestParentPackageJSON (node:internal/modules/package_json_reader:111:33)
    at node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1654:35
    at require.extensions..jsx.require.extensions..js (/.../ts-node-dev-hook-12651585434515367.js:114:20)
    at Object.nodeDevHook [as .js] (.../node_modules/ts-node-dev/lib/hook.js:63:13)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1318:32)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1128:12)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:315:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:218:24)
    at Module.<anonymous> (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1340:12)
    at Module.Hook.Module.require (.../node_modules/dd-trace/packages/dd-trace/src/ritm.js:85:33)

[trevoro]

@benweissmann Hey I had the same issue. I think this project is DOA from retool's perspective. The lead maintainer left and nobody is really picking it up. To fix the issue I installed patch-package then adde a patch for that file, that replaces the escaped JSON with un-escaped / normal JSON.

You should end up with a patch file like this.

diff --git a/node_modules/retoolrpc/dist/cjs/package.json b/node_modules/retoolrpc/dist/cjs/package.json
index 81cd6a5..5bbefff 100644
--- a/node_modules/retoolrpc/dist/cjs/package.json
+++ b/node_modules/retoolrpc/dist/cjs/package.json
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-"{\"type\":\"commonjs\"}"
+{
+  "type": "commonjs"
+}

Just set up patch-package so that it runs after npm install and you should be GTG.

[himanshu-bhandoh]

Heads up that I merged a fix here. Please let me know if this works for you @benweissmann + @trevoro!