import/first

Imports are hoisted. The imported modules load and run before any line of the file that imports them, no matter where the import is written. An import below other code looks like it runs later, but it doesn't.

Directives such as "use client" can come before the imports.

--fix moves the imports to the top, after the ones that are already there. If there are none, they go below what has to stay first: a #! line, comments about the file like // @ts-nocheck or a license, directives like "use client", and a header comment with an empty line after it. The comments above and beside an import move with it, and the comments that touch the first statement stay with that statement.

An import has no fix if moving it would change the program. That's the case in code without semicolons if the line after the import starts with [, (, +, -, /, < or a backtick, because it would continue the line before the import. It's also the case below an export .. from, because the modules would run in another order.

Configure#

Off by default. To turn it on:

[lint.rules]
"import/first" = "error" # or "warn"

Every option, set to its default:

[lint.rules]
# "absolute-first" or "disable-absolute-first"
"import/first" = ["error", "disable-absolute-first"]

Examples#

import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";

loadConfig(); // runs after "./server.js" has loaded, not before

import { startServer } from "./server.js";

startServer();

"use client";

import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";
import { startServer } from "./server.js";

loadConfig();
startServer();

Options#

import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";
import express from "express";

import express from "express";
import { loadConfig } from "./config.js";