Quick setup

docker run -d --rm -it -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=db -ePOSTGRES_USER=postgres -p 5433:5432 --name pg postgres:14.6-alpine3.17
npm install

# this works
set -a && source ./.env && ts-node src/foo.ts
# Returns ('starelid' might be different for you)
# Result(1) [ { starelid: 1247 } ]

# this DOES NOT work in a ts-node REPL:
> foo = await import('./src/foo.ts')
> foo = await import('./src/foo')

Details

A repro example of trying to get an import working with ts-node, and following their docs. Getting this to work with some other TS REPL would be fine as well.

tsconfig.json was inspired by this. Official docs were also consulted.

Start Postgres in Docker:

docker run -d --rm -it -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -e POSTGRES_DB=db -ePOSTGRES_USER=postgres -p 5433:5432 --name pg postgres:14.6-alpine3.17

And install packages:

npm install

This then works:

set -a && source ./.env && ts-node src/foo.ts
# Returns ('starelid' might be different for you)
# Result(1) [ { starelid: 1247 } ]

But entering a REPL with ts-node, then neither of these works:

# WITH .ts extension
> foo = await import('./src/foo.ts')
Uncaught SyntaxError:
export {};
^

'import' and 'export' may only appear at the top level


# WITHOUT .ts extension
> foo = await import('./src/foo')
Uncaught:
TypeError [ERR_VM_DYNAMIC_IMPORT_CALLBACK_MISSING]: A dynamic import callback was not specified.
    at Object.execCommand (/Users/me/.asdf/installs/nodejs/18.16.0/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/repl.ts:633:32)
    at runInContext (/Users/me/.asdf/installs/nodejs/18.16.0/lib/node_modules/ts-node/src/repl.ts:673:19)
    at Script.runInThisContext (node:vm:129:12)
    at /path/to/project/<repl>.ts:3:4
    at /path/to/project/<repl>.ts:1:18
    at importModuleDynamicallyCallback (node:internal/process/esm_loader:39:9)
    at new NodeError (node:internal/errors:399:5)
    at __node_internal_captureLargerStackTrace (node:internal/errors:490:5) {
  code: 'ERR_VM_DYNAMIC_IMPORT_CALLBACK_MISSING'
}