Error: Cannot find module 'sax'

Ionic Framework ionic-v3
1

Today ionic CLI prompted me with this message:

The Ionic CLI (local version) has an update available (3.9.2 => 3.10.3)! Would you like to install it?

Well, I did. Now I wish I didn’t!

After installing new version of CLI I got this error message:

Error: Cannot find module ‘/MyApp/node_modules/@ionic/app-scripts’

And a note:

Note: You can downgrade to your old version by running: npm install --save --save-exact ionic@3.9.2

I didn’t have time to deal with app-scripts problem, so I downgraded CLI to 3.9.2. After that I’m getting this message all the time, even after installing 3.10.3 again:

Error: Cannot find module ‘sax’

Really annoying!

Any ideas?

2

hit this command in command prompt “npm install sax”.

1 Like
3

Post your ionic info output please.
Also run npm list -g --depth=0.

4

cli packages: (/MyApp/node_modules)

@ionic/cli-utils  : 1.9.2
ionic (Ionic CLI) : 3.9.2

global packages:

Cordova CLI : 7.0.1

local packages:

@ionic/app-scripts : 2.1.4
Cordova Platforms  : android 6.2.3 ios 4.4.0
Ionic Framework    : ionic-angular 3.6.1

System:

ios-deploy : 1.9.1 
Node       : v8.1.3
npm        : 5.3.0 
OS         : macOS Sierra
Xcode      : Xcode 8.3.3 Build version 8E3004b

For some reason ionic info shows that CLI is 3.9.2 even though I installed the latest one (3.10.3)

npm install -g ionic@latest
/usr/local/bin/ionic → /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ionic/bin/ionic

  • ionic@3.10.3
    updated 1 package in 6.716s

The output of npm list -g --depth=0

/usr/local/lib
├── cordova@7.0.1
├── ionic@3.10.3
├── ios-deploy@1.9.1
├── npm@5.3.0
└── typescript@2.4.2

5

There are two Ionic CLI installs - a global and a local one. Run npm list --depth=0 in your project to see the local one, npm install ionic@latest to install the latest locally in the project.

6

Didn’t help. Still getting this error:

Error: Cannot find module ‘sax’
at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:485:15)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:437:25)
at Module.require (module.js:513:17)
at require (internal/module.js:11:18)
at Object. (/MyApp/node_modules/elementtree/lib/parsers/sax.js:3:11)
at Module._compile (module.js:569:30)
at Object.Module._extensions…js (module.js:580:10)
at Module.load (module.js:503:32)
at tryModuleLoad (module.js:466:12)
at Function.Module._load (module.js:458:3)

Here is my ionic info after installing latest local cli:

cli packages: (/MyApp/node_modules)

@ionic/cli-utils  : 1.10.2
ionic (Ionic CLI) : 3.10.3

global packages:

Cordova CLI : 7.0.1

local packages:

@ionic/app-scripts : 2.1.4
Cordova Platforms  : android 6.2.3 ios 4.4.0
Ionic Framework    : ionic-angular 3.6.1

System:

ios-deploy : 1.9.1 
Node       : v8.1.3
npm        : 5.4.2 
OS         : macOS Sierra
Xcode      : Xcode 8.3.3 Build version 8E3004b
7

Create a new project with ionic start and see if you can run this.

8

This one seems to be working.

9

Great, then compare package.json files from both.
If you are done, delete node_modules and package-lock.json from your project and run npm install.

10

What am I looking for in package.json?

11

For example ionic-native in my project is 3.13.1 and in new test project it’s 3.12.1. Does it matter?

12

I didn’t change anything in package.json, but removing node_modules and running npm install solved the problem.

Thanks @Sujan12!

Side question: I’m totally confused now with local and global versions. Wha’t the right setup?

13

Both on the newest version.

14

Why both are required?

15

I guess the CLI team didn’t feel confident that they could guarantee maintaining backwards compatibility, so decided to pin a specific version for each project.

16

Because people asked to be able to use one local version in one project, and another in another project.