58 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
58 lines
1.6 KiB
Markdown
#watchexec
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Software development often involves running the same commands over and over. Boring!
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`watchexec` is a **simple**, standalone tool that watches a path and runs a command whenever it detects modifications.
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Example use cases:
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* Automatically run unit tests
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* Run linters/syntax checkers
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##Status
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Beta: CLI arguments subject to change
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##Features
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* Simple invocation and use
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* Runs on OS X, Linux and Windows
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* Monitors path specified on command line for changes
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* Uses most efficient event polling mechanism, based on platform (except for [BSD](https://github.com/passcod/rsnotify#todo))
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* Coalesces multiple filesystem events into one, for editors that use swap/backup files during saving
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* Support for filtering/ignoring events based on glob patterns
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* Optionally clears screen between executions
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* Does not require a language runtime
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* Small (~100 LOC)
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##Anti-Features
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* Not tied to any particular language or ecosystem
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* Does not require a cryptic command line involving `xargs`
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##Usage
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Call `make test` when there are any changes in the `src` directory:
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$ watchexec src make test
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Call `make test` when any Python file changes in this directory, or a subdirectory:
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$ watchexec -f '*.py' . make test
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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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Always quote glob patterns (*.py)!
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##Installation
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###OS X with Homebrew
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$ brew install mattgreen/watchexec/watchexec
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##Credits
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* [notify](https://github.com/passcod/rsnotify) for doing most of the heavy-lifting
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