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README
Watchexec
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
- Simple invocation and use, does not require a cryptic command line involving
xargs - Runs on OS X, Linux, and Windows
- Monitors current directory and all subdirectories for changes
- Coalesces multiple filesystem events into one, for editors that use swap/backup files during saving
- Loads
.gitignoreand.ignorefiles - Uses process groups to keep hold of forking programs
- Provides the paths that changed in environment variables
- Does not require a language runtime, not tied to any particular language or ecosystem
- [And more!](./crates/cli/#features)
Quick start
Watch all JavaScript, CSS and HTML files in the current directory and all subdirectories for changes, running npm run build when a change is detected:
$ watchexec -e js,css,html npm run build
Call/restart python server.py when any Python file in the current directory (and all subdirectories) changes:
$ watchexec -r -e py -- python server.py
More usage examples: [in the CLI README](./crates/cli/#usage-examples)!
Install
- With [your package manager](./doc/packages.md) for Arch, Homebrew, Nix, Scoop, Chocolatey…
- From binary with Binstall:
cargo binstall watchexec-cli - As pre-built binary package from Github
- From source with Cargo:
cargo install watchexec-cli
All options in detail: [in the CLI README](./crates/cli/#installation) and [in the manual page](./doc/watchexec.1.ronn).
Augment
Watchexec pairs well with:
- checkexec: to run only when source files are newer than a target file
- just: a modern alternative to
make - systemfd: socket-passing in development
Extend
- [watchexec library](./crates/lib/): to create more specialised watchexec-powered tools! such as:
- cargo watch: for Rust/Cargo projects.
- clearscreen: to clear the (terminal) screen on every platform.
- command group: to run commands in process groups.
- [ignore files](./crates/ignore-files/): to find, parse, and interpret ignore files.
- [project origins](./crates/project-origins/): to find the origin(s) directory of a project.
- notify: to respond to file modifications (third-party).
- globset: to match globs (third-party).