doc: clarify core modules that can be loaded without a prefix

aduh95 · targos · commit 46c880b99b4a · 2022-04-28T06:56:13.000+02:00
Refs: #42325 PR-URL: #42753 Reviewed-By: Geoffrey Booth <webadmin@geoffreybooth.com> Reviewed-By: Jacob Smith <jacob@frende.me> Reviewed-By: Mestery <mestery@protonmail.com>
diff --git a/doc/api/modules.md b/doc/api/modules.md
@@ -333,15 +333,17 @@ described in greater detail elsewhere in this documentation.
 The core modules are defined within the Node.js source and are located in the
 `lib/` folder.
 
-Core modules are always preferentially loaded if their identifier is
-passed to `require()`. For instance, `require('http')` will always
-return the built in HTTP module, even if there is a file by that name.
-
-Core modules can also be identified using the `node:` prefix, in which case
+Core modules can be identified using the `node:` prefix, in which case
 it bypasses the `require` cache. For instance, `require('node:http')` will
 always return the built in HTTP module, even if there is `require.cache` entry
 by that name.
 
+Some core modules are always preferentially loaded if their identifier is
+passed to `require()`. For instance, `require('http')` will always
+return the built-in HTTP module, even if there is a file by that name. The list
+of core modules that can be loaded without using the `node:` prefix is exposed
+as [`module.builtinModules`][].
+
 ## Cycles
 
 <!--type=misc-->
@@ -1092,6 +1094,7 @@ This section was moved to
 [`__dirname`]: #__dirname
 [`__filename`]: #__filename
 [`import()`]: https://wiki.developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Statements/import#Dynamic_Imports
+[`module.builtinModules`]: module.md#modulebuiltinmodules
 [`module.children`]: #modulechildren
 [`module.id`]: #moduleid
 [`module` core module]: module.md
