Loader exits with code 1, just using import {FileAttachment}

[Martien]

I fail trying to create a page loader pl.md.js that reads ./src/pl.txt like so:

import { FileAttachment } from "observablehq:stdlib";
const pl = FileAttachment("pl.txt");

This gives the error message: loader exited with code 1.

Terminal with npm run dev shows:

Node.js v22.10.0
error in 64ms: loader exited with code 1
Error: loader exited with code 1
    at CommandLoader.exec (file:///Users/martien/Documents/Project/aarde/node_modules/@observablehq/framework/dist/loader.js:430:13)
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)
    at async file:///Users/martien/Documents/Project/aarde/node_modules/@observablehq/framework/dist/loader.js:373:11

Even having only import { FileAttachment } from "observablehq:stdlib"; gives a loading error.

Help, please.

(I may have mixed up mental models, as I find imports, files, and page loaders as a whole confusing.)

[mbostock]

JavaScript data loaders are simply vanilla Node.js programs. You need to use node:fs to read files rather than FileAttachment.

[Martien]

JavaScript data loaders are simply vanilla Node.js programs. You need to use node:fs to read files rather than FileAttachment.

Thanks. Got it working. I’m new to Node.js. Observable has been abstracting it for me so nicely until now.