dongtong / npm_as_build_tool

Use npm as building tool in node application

NPM As Build Tool

Development progress

compile/transform -> bundle -> optimize -> test -> deploy

Why use npm as build tool

• npm vs gulp

Run Test

$ npm run-script test
$ npm run test
$ npm test
$ npm tst
$ npm t

Run npm script in silent mode

$ npm test -s

Run script pre- and post-

$ npm run pretest
$ npm test -s

customize hooks

$ npm run greet -s

Run npm script sequence as following:

prescriptname -> scriptname -> postscriptname

Run many script

"scripts": {
    "compile": "npm run compile:coffee && npm run compile:es6"
}

$ npm run compile

If the first script run failed, and then left script will not run.

clean files or directories

For windows platform, we could use rimraf package

$ npm install rimraf --save-dev

NPM operators

1. &&

If the left operation failed, the right operation will not run

2. |

The left operation result will be the right command first parameter

4. --

It could allow to pass argument throught underline commander

The left operation result will be writen to right destination file.

NPM Commander

1. npm --help

To see all of avaiable npm commanders

2. npm run

To check which script command you could use

pipeline

Before script

"build:bundle": "browserify ./src/app.js -o ./public/js/bundle.js",
"build:uglify": "uglifyjs ./src/app.js -mc -o ./public/js/bundle.min.js"

After pipeline

"build:bundle": "browserify ./src/app.js | uglifyjs -mc > ./public/js/bundle.js"

The | left commander output as second command first parameter

build script procedure

"build:clean": "rimraf public/css/* public/js/*",
"prebuild": "npm run build:clean",
"build": "npm run compile:less && npm run build:bundle"

1. run "prebuild": "npm run build:clean"

2. run "rimraf public/css/* public/js/*"

3. run "npm run compile:less" and related hooks script

4. run npm run build:bundle and related hooks script

watch

• client watch(watch, watchify)

• server watch(nodemon)

Version migration

The common version follows semver.org

Major.Minor.Patch

But we could remember as following:

Breaking.Feature.Bugfix

How to migration version?, firstly, you could check help info

$ npm version --help

Then add script task.

$ npm run version:patch

This will change package.json version value.

Git tag

Check current version or check differencs

$ git remote -v
$ git tag
$ git show v1.0.1

Deploy to cloud

• heroku
• aws
• azure