Fix ESM binary resolution in JavaScript client

[evanniedojadlo]

Summary

Fixes #62 - Vibium fails to locate the clicker binary when used as an ES Module. When using Vibium in an ESM project (with "type": "module" in package.json), the library failed to find the platform-specific clicker binary, even though it was correctly installed in node_modules/@vibium/{platform}-{arch}/bin/clicker.

In Vibium fashion, I leveraged Claude Code to identify and address this issue, then personally tested and verified the fixes on macOS 26.1.

The Fix

The root cause was that binary.ts used require.resolve() to locate the platform package, which is a CommonJS function that doesn't work in ESM environments.

Solution: Implement dual CJS/ESM support using createRequire():

1. Import createRequire from Node's built-in module package
2. Detect runtime environment by checking for __filename (CJS) vs import.meta.url (ESM)
3. Create a working require function using createRequire() that works in both environments
4. Use this to resolve the platform package path

Key changes in clients/javascript/src/clicker/binary.ts:

import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
import { createRequire } from 'module';

// Detect environment and create require function
let currentModulePath: string;
if (typeof __filename !== 'undefined') {
  currentModulePath = __filename;  // CommonJS
} else {
  currentModulePath = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);  // ESM
}
const require = createRequire(currentModulePath);
const packagePath = require.resolve(`${packageName}/package.json`);

Test plan

• ESM mode: Created test project with "type": "module", verified browser launches without CLICKER_PATH
• CommonJS mode: Verified backwards compatibility maintained
• Existing test suite: 21/23 tests pass (2 pre-existing failures in auto-wait tests tracked in Auto-wait timeout tests failing with unhelpful error messages #64)

Testing with Claude Code

To reproduce the issue and verify the fix:

Reproduce the issue (before fix):

Create a test ESM project with "type": "module" in package.json, install vibium, and try to launch a browser. You'll see: "Error: Could not find clicker binary"

Verify the fix (after):

Test the fix in both ESM and CommonJS modes. Create two test projects - one with "type": "module" and one without. Both should successfully launch the browser without needing CLICKER_PATH.

Claude Code prompts for testing:

# ESM test
Create a test ESM project and verify Vibium can launch a browser without CLICKER_PATH

# CommonJS test  
Create a test CommonJS project and verify backwards compatibility is maintained

🤖 Generated with Claude Code