fora-build v0.9.30

fora-build

fora-build is a very simple build module for node.js (using ES6 generators). It prefers code over configuration and encourages you to use stuff you already know like bash commands and built-in node functions. Also monitors files for changes after the build.

Why the weird name? Because it is being developed as part of the Fora Project (http://github.com/jeswin/fora).

HOWTO

There are essentially three steps

1. npm install 'fora-build'
2. Write a build.js file

3. node --harmony build.js

The build.js file

This example should help you get started. This is the same code that runs in the test/ directory.

/*
    Configuration Section.
*/
buildConfig = function() {
    /*
        The first task to run when the build starts.
        Let's call it "start_build". It just prints a message.
        
        Note: name (ie "start_build") isn't stricly required, 
        but it allows us to declare it as a dependency in another job.
    */
    this.onStart(function*() {
        console.log("Let's start copying files...");
    }, "start_build");


    /*
        Let's create an app directory.
        We add "start_build" as a dependency, so that it runs after the message.
    */
    this.onStart(function*() {
        console.log("Creating app directory");
        yield* exec("rm app -rf");
        yield* exec("mkdir app");
    }, "create_dirs", ["start_build"]);


    /*
        A helper function to create directories which may not exist.
        We are going to use this in tasks below.
    */
    ensureDirExists = function*(file) {
        var dir = path.dirname(file);
        if (!fs.existsSync(dir)) {
            yield* exec("mkdir " + dir + " -p");
        } 
    }


    /*
        Copies all text and html files into the app directory.
        Write as many this.watch() methods as you want, in this example we use only one.            
    */
    this.watch(["*.txt", "*.html"], function*(filePath) {
        var dest = filePath.replace(/^src\//, 'app/');
        yield* ensureDirExists(dest);
        yield* exec("cp " + filePath + " " + dest);
        this.queue("merge_txt_files");
        this.queue("fake_server_restart");
    }, "copy_files");
    

    /*
        A job to merge txt files and create wisdom.data
    */    
    this.job(function*() {
        yield* exec("cat app/somefile.txt app/anotherfile.txt app/abc.html > app/wisdom.data");
    }, "merge_txt_files");
    

    /*
        A fake server restart. Just says it did it.        
    */    
    this.job(function*() {
        console.log("Restarting the fake server .... done");
        //yield* exec("restart.sh"); //.. for example
    }, "fake_server_restart");
}

build = require('fora-build').create({ threads: 4 }); //That's right. Things get done in parallel.    
build.configure(buildConfig, 'data'); //data is the directory where your files are.
build.start(true, function() { console.log("Build is done. But we're still monitoring."); }); //build.start(monitor files?, onComplete callback)