watchexec/README.md

131 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
Raw Normal View History

# watchexec
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
2019-11-19 07:06:43 +01:00
[![Build status](https://badgen.net/travis/watchexec/watchexec/main)](https://travis-ci.org/watchexec/watchexec)
2018-08-21 05:12:00 +02:00
[![Crates.io status](https://badgen.net/crates/v/watchexec)](https://crates.io/crates/watchexec)
2019-10-28 01:17:15 +01:00
[![Docs status](https://docs.rs/watchexec/badge.svg)](https://docs.rs/watchexec)
2016-10-15 20:03:23 +02:00
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
Software development often involves running the same commands over and over. Boring!
`watchexec` is a **simple**, standalone tool that watches a path and runs a command whenever it detects modifications.
Example use cases:
* Automatically run unit tests
* Run linters/syntax checkers
## Features
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
* Simple invocation and use
* Runs on OS X, Linux and Windows
2016-11-17 14:46:23 +01:00
* Monitors current directory and all subdirectories for changes
2018-08-21 05:12:00 +02:00
* Uses most efficient event polling mechanism for your platform (except for [BSD](https://github.com/passcod/notify#todo))
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
* Coalesces multiple filesystem events into one, for editors that use swap/backup files during saving
2016-10-15 16:47:35 +02:00
* By default, uses `.gitignore` to determine which files to ignore notifications for
* Support for watching files with a specific extension
2018-09-29 03:40:06 +02:00
* Support for filtering/ignoring events based on [glob patterns](https://docs.rs/globset/*/globset/#syntax)
* Launches child processes in a new process group
* Sets the following environment variables in the child process:
* If a single file changed (depending on the event type):
* `$WATCHEXEC_CREATED_PATH`, the path of the file that was created
* `$WATCHEXEC_REMOVED_PATH`, the path of the file that was removed
* `$WATCHEXEC_RENAMED_PATH`, the path of the file that was renamed
* `$WATCHEXEC_WRITTEN_PATH`, the path of the file that was modified
* `$WATCHEXEC_META_CHANGED_PATH`, the path of the file whose metadata changed
* If multiple files changed:
* `$WATCHEXEC_COMMON_PATH`, the longest common path of all of the files that triggered a change
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
* Optionally clears screen between executions
* Optionally restarts the command with every modification (good for servers)
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
* Does not require a language runtime
## Anti-Features
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
* Not tied to any particular language or ecosystem
* Does not require a cryptic command line involving `xargs`
## Usage Examples
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
Watch all JavaScript, CSS and HTML files in the current directory and all subdirectories for changes, running `make` when a change is detected:
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
$ watchexec --exts js,css,html make
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
2016-09-22 16:03:23 +02:00
Call `make test` when any file changes in this directory/subdirectory, except for everything below `target`:
2016-10-17 20:55:28 +02:00
$ watchexec -i target make test
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
2016-12-15 01:45:31 +01:00
Call `ls -la` when any file changes in this directory/subdirectory:
$ watchexec -- ls -la
Call/restart `python server.py` when any Python file in the current directory (and all subdirectories) changes:
$ watchexec -e py -r python server.py
Call/restart `my_server` when any file in the current directory (and all subdirectories) changes, sending `SIGKILL` to stop the child process:
2017-03-14 23:47:11 +01:00
$ watchexec -r -s SIGKILL my_server
2017-04-06 22:51:52 +02:00
Send a SIGHUP to the child process upon changes (Note: with using `-n | --no-shell` here, we're executing `my_server` directly, instead of wrapping it in a shell:
2017-03-23 23:51:40 +01:00
2017-04-06 22:51:52 +02:00
$ watchexec -n -s SIGHUP my_server
2017-03-23 23:51:40 +01:00
2016-10-12 15:12:42 +02:00
Run `make` when any file changes, using the `.gitignore` file in the current directory to filter:
$ watchexec make
2017-02-05 19:29:38 +01:00
Run `make` when any file in `lib` or `src` changes:
$ watchexec -w lib -w src make
## Installation
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
### Cargo
2016-10-18 03:26:01 +02:00
2019-10-27 11:49:52 +01:00
watchexec requires Rust 1.38 or later. You can install it using cargo:
2016-10-18 03:26:01 +02:00
$ cargo install watchexec
### OS X with Homebrew
2016-09-19 18:49:18 +02:00
2017-01-19 17:35:38 +01:00
$ brew install watchexec
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
### Linux
2018-09-09 04:53:11 +02:00
For now, use the GitHub Releases tab to obtain the binary. PRs for packaging in unsupported distros are welcomed.
#### Debian
A deb package is available for amd64 architectures in the GitHub Releases.
#### Arch Linux
Available in the **community** repository:
$ pacman -S watchexec
### Windows
2018-09-09 04:53:11 +02:00
Available [using scoop](https://scoop.sh/):
#> scoop install watchexec
2019-10-28 02:51:04 +01:00
Or [chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/packages/watchexec):
#> choco install watchexec
2018-09-09 04:53:11 +02:00
Or just unzip the binary from the GitHub Releases.
## Shell completions
2019-04-17 12:16:35 +02:00
Currently available shell completions:
- zsh: `completions/zsh` should be installed to `/usr/share/zsh/site-functions/_watchexec`
2019-04-17 12:16:35 +02:00
## Building
2019-10-27 11:49:52 +01:00
Rust 1.38 or later is required.
## Credits
2016-09-18 22:42:11 +02:00
2018-08-21 05:12:00 +02:00
* [notify](https://github.com/passcod/notify) for doing most of the heavy-lifting
2016-11-09 03:57:09 +01:00
* [globset](https://crates.io/crates/globset) for super-fast glob matching