Explain 'Module Detection' and the 'force' setting for ESM architectures.

Updated May 4, 2026

Short answer

Module detection determines if a file is a global script or an isolated module; 'force' ensures isolation in modern projects[cite: 1].

Deep explanation

By default, files without import or export are treated as global scripts, causing naming collisions. TS 4.7+ introduced moduleDetection: force, which treats every file as a module automatically. This is critical for modern ESM projects to prevent accidental global scope leakage[cite: 1].

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