How to use TypeScript path on Node.js with tsc-watch?

Question

I'm writing an application and decided to shorten paths using aliases. However, with all my settings I can't get Node.js to see the paths.

This is my tsconfig.json:

{
 "compilerOptions": {
 "baseUrl": ".",
 "outDir": "./dist",
 "paths": {
 "@utils/*": ["src/utils/*"],
 "@controlers/*": ["src/controlers/*"],
 "@middlewares/*": ["src/middlewares/*"],
 "@routes/*": ["src/routes/*"],
 "@generated/*": ["/generated/*"]
 },
 "target": "es2024",
 "module": "nodenext",
 "moduleResolution": "nodenext",
 "resolveJsonModule": true,
 "sourceMap": false,
 "noImplicitAny": false,
 "removeComments": true,
 "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
 "esModuleInterop": true
 },
 "include": ["src"]
}

This is my package.json:

"scripts": {
 "dev": "tsc-watch --onSuccess \"node -r tsconfig-paths/register ./dist/index.js\"",
 "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
},
 "keywords": [],
 "author": "",
 "license": "ISC",
 "type": "module",
},
"devDependencies": {
 "nodemon": "^3.1.10",
 "ts-node": "^10.9.2",
 "tsc-watch": "^7.1.1",
 "tsconfig-paths": "^4.2.0",
 "typescript": "^5.8.3"
},
 "_moduleAliases": {
 "@utils": "dist/utils",
 "@controlers": "dist/controlers",
 "@middlewares": "dist/middlewares",
 "@routes": "dist/routes",
 "@generated": "dist/generated"
}

How my inports in main TS file look:

import authRoutes from "@routes/auth_routes.js";

Also I tried nodemon with that setting, but this doesn't work either:

{
 "watch": ["src"],
 "ext": "ts, json",
 "exec": "node --loader ts-node/esm -r tsconfig-paths/register --experimental-specifier-resolution=node ./src/index.ts"
}

Ideally, I would like to run an application with real-time tracking without compilation, although if it is possible only with compilation then I am not against it. Of course, the simplest option is not to use all these paths and then everything will work, but why simplify everything.

• Estus Flask: This is the problem, "module": "nodenext". -r works for cjs only. tsconfig-paths is not intended for native esm. ts-node which you're trying to use too is abandoned and has problems with native esm too. tsx is considered a modern replacement, it supports watch. Did you try it?
• Vitaliy: @EstusFlask - that is, 2 options: 1. try tsx. 2. change the module to another. As for changing the module, I get errors with prisma orm, so I chose this particular module. Can you explain what you mean about tsx? if you are about this "tsc --watch", then I was getting the same error as in the current version of the stack
• Estus Flask: I mean this npmjs.com/package/tsx , not "tsc"
• Vitaliy: it seems to work, thanks. However now I get a message every time I need to generate prisma, maybe you know the answer to this too? Error: "@prisma/client did not initialize yet. Please run "prisma generate" and try to import it again.'"
• Estus Flask: Glad it worked for you

Answer 1

Tsx node solve my problems with path, and work in live now! Link https://www.npmjs.com/package/tsx