watchexec/README.md

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# watchexec
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[![Build Status](https://badgen.net/travis/watchexec/watchexec/master)](https://travis-ci.org/watchexec/watchexec)
[![Build status](https://badgen.net/appveyor/ci/watchexec/watchexec/master)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/watchexec/watchexec)
[![Crates.io status](https://badgen.net/crates/v/watchexec)](https://crates.io/crates/watchexec)
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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
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* Simple invocation and use
* Runs on OS X, Linux and Windows
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* Monitors current directory and all subdirectories for changes
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* Uses most efficient event polling mechanism for your platform (except for [BSD](https://github.com/passcod/notify#todo))
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* Coalesces multiple filesystem events into one, for editors that use swap/backup files during saving
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* By default, uses `.gitignore` to determine which files to ignore notifications for
* Support for watching files with a specific extension
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* 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
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* Optionally clears screen between executions
* Optionally restarts the command with every modification (good for servers)
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* Does not require a language runtime
## Anti-Features
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* Not tied to any particular language or ecosystem
* Does not require a cryptic command line involving `xargs`
## Usage Examples
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Watch all JavaScript, CSS and HTML files in the current directory and all subdirectories for changes, running `make` when a change is detected:
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$ watchexec --exts js,css,html make
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Call `make test` when any file changes in this directory/subdirectory, except for everything below `target`:
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$ watchexec -i target make test
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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:
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$ watchexec -r -s SIGKILL my_server
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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:
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$ watchexec -n -s SIGHUP my_server
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Run `make` when any file changes, using the `.gitignore` file in the current directory to filter:
$ watchexec make
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Run `make` when any file in `lib` or `src` changes:
$ watchexec -w lib -w src make
## Installation
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### Cargo
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watchexec requires Rust 1.26 or later. You can install it using cargo:
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$ cargo install watchexec
### OS X with Homebrew
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$ brew install watchexec
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### Linux
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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
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Available [using scoop](https://scoop.sh/):
#> scoop install watchexec
Or just unzip the binary from the GitHub Releases.
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## Extras
- [A zsh completion](https://github.com/watchexec/watchexec/wiki/ZSH-completion)
## Building
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Rust 1.26 or later is required.
## Credits
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* [notify](https://github.com/passcod/notify) for doing most of the heavy-lifting
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* [globset](https://crates.io/crates/globset) for super-fast glob matching