browserify doing nothing from command line - node.js

I'm totally new to node.js, so I'm guessing this is a dumb question..
I have an ubuntu machine, on which I have installed browserify with npm:
sudo npm install browserify -g
I can require this module if I open a node.js shell, but when I try to run it from the command line nothing happens:
ubuntu:~$ browserify
ubuntu:~$ browserify f -o f3
ubuntu:~$
whats going on here? The command is found but does nothing and prints nothing??
Thanks

The problem is probably with 'node' vs 'nodejs' environment.
Type which browserify in your terminal and then edit the file with your preferred text editor: emacs /usr/local/bin/browserify.
The very first line of the file might read something like #!/usr/bin/env node. Just change it to call nodejs instead of node so that it reads #!/usr/bin/env nodejs
This has to be the the easiest way. And it works with many other tools that depend on node (like coffeescript relp/compiler, mocha testing tool and pretty much anything else that depends on node)

do you have f in current path and have you checked if f3 is generated?
i see usually output to stdout and redirect to bundle by >, like below:
browserify f.js > f3.js

Related

Can't get color output in Node

I'm trying to log to the console in different colors using chalk but I haven't gotten it to work. I have a file that consists of the following two lines and I'm running it with the command node test.js
var chalk = require('chalk');
console.log(chalk.red('Hello'));
// outputs 'hello' in black
The following command does output in red so I know that it's possible in my terminal.
node <<< "console.log('\x1b[31mhello\x1b[m')"
I have "chalk": "^2.1.0" in my dev dependencies and have run a npm install. The following shows some of my setup.
$ node --version
v8.2.1
$ echo $TERM
xterm-256color
$ echo $SHELL
/bin/bash
$ echo $TERM_PROGRAM
Apple_Terminal
Any ideas?
Additionally:
It looks like chalk isn't outputting the ansi codes at all for some reason...
console.log(util.inspect('hello'));
//'hello'
console.log(util.inspect(chalk.red('hello')));
// 'hello'
console.log(util.inspect('\x1b[31mhello\x1b[m'));
// '\u001b[31mhello\u001b[m'
I was having a very similar issue. This answer is for anyone else in the future.
Turns out that chalk won't apply styles if you are piping the output somewhere.
In my npm scripts, I was using:
node export.js | tee export.log
Since I was switching to use Winston for logging anyway, and it can output to different files via 'transports', I no longer need the output piped somewhere and chalk is free to work.
Hope this helps someone!
Uninstalling and reinstalling the package fixed the problem.
npm remove -D chalk
npm i -D chalk
In my case, it works locally. But it doesn't work on the CICD pipeline.
The solution is to set the following environment variable of your CICD pipeline:
FORCE_COLOR=1
Try this version
npm install chalk#4.1.2

How to run TypeScript files from command line?

I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding an answer to this. With plain Node.JS, you can run any js file with node path/to/file.js, with CoffeeScript it's coffee hello.coffee and ES6 has babel-node hello.js. How do I do the same with Typescript?
My project has a tsconfig.json which is used by Webpack/ts-loader to build a nice little bundle for the browser. I have a need for a build step run from the console before that, though, that would use some of the .ts files used in the project to generate a schema, but I can't seem to be able to run a single Typescript file without compiling the whole project.
How do I do the same with Typescript
You can leave tsc running in watch mode using tsc -w -p . and it will generate .js files for you in a live fashion, so you can run node foo.js like normal
TS Node
There is ts-node : https://github.com/TypeStrong/ts-node that will compile the code on the fly and run it through node 🌹
npx ts-node src/foo.ts
Run the below commands and install the required packages globally:
npm install -g ts-node typescript '#types/node'
Now run the following command to execute a typescript file:
ts-node typescript-file.ts
We have following steps:
First you need to install typescript
npm install -g typescript
Create one file helloworld.ts
function hello(person){
return "Hello, " + person;
}
let user = "Aamod Tiwari";
const result = hello(user);
console.log("Result", result)
Open command prompt and type the following command
tsc helloworld.ts
Again run the command
node helloworld.js
Result will display on console
To add to #Aamod answer above, If you want to use one command line to compile and run your code, you can use the following:
Windows:
tsc main.ts | node main.js
Linux / macOS:
tsc main.ts && node main.js
Edit: May 2022
ts-node now has an --esm flag use it.
Old Answer:
None of the other answers discuss how to run a TypeScript script that uses modules, and especially modern ES Modules.
First off, ts-node doesn't work in that scenario, as of March 2020. So we'll settle for tsc followed by node.
Second, TypeScript still can't output .mjs files. So we'll settle for .js files and "type": "module" in package.json.
Third, you want clean import lines, without specifying the .js extension (which would be confusing in .ts files):
import { Lib } from './Lib';
Well, that's non-trivial. Node requires specifying extensions on imports, unless you use the experimental-specifier-resolution=node flag. In this case, it would enable Node to look for Lib.js or Lib/index.js when you only specify ./Lib on the import line.
Fourth, there's still a snag: if you have a different main filename than index.js in your package, Node won't find it.
Transpiling makes things a lot messier than running vanilla Node.
Here's a sample repo with a modern TypeScript project structure, generating ES Module code.
I created #digitak/esrun, a thin wrapper around esbuild and that executes a TypeScript file almost instantly. esrun was made because I was disappointed with ts-node: too slow, and just didn't work most of the time.
Advantages of esrun over ts-node include:
very fast (uses esbuild),
can import ESM as well as CJS (just use the libraries of your choice and esrun will work out of the box),
there is an included watch mode, run your script with the --watch option and any change to your entry file or any of its dependencies will re-trigger the result
you can use esrun in inspect mode to use the DevTools console instead of your terminal console.
After installing, just run:
npx #digitak/esrun file.ts
Just helpful information - here is newest TypeScript / JavaScript runtime Deno.
It was created by the creator of node Ryan Dahl, based on what he would do differently if he could start fresh.
You can also try tsx.
tsx is a CLI command (alternative to node) for seamlessly running TypeScript, its build upon esbuild so its very fast.
https://github.com/esbuild-kit/tsx
Example:
npx tsx ./script.ts
As of May 2022 ts-node does support es modules
npx ts-node --esm file.ts
you will likely need to add "type": "module", to your package.json. And some of the imports might be wonky unless you turn on experimental-specifier-resolution=node
npmjs.com/package/ts-node#commonjs-vs-native-ecmascript-modules
For linux / mac you can add the ts-node-script shebang.
Install typescript / ts-node globally (see 1 below for non global install):
npm install ts-node typescript --save-dev --global
Add this as the first line in your .ts file:
#!/usr/bin/env ts-node-script
Then make the file executable:
$ chmod +x ./your-file.ts
You can then run the file directly from the command line:
$ ./your-file.ts
Notes:
1 For non global install you can install local to your project
npm install ts-node typescript --save-dev
and add the relative path to the shebang script eg:
#!/usr/bin/env ./node_modules/.bin/ts-node-script
2 Support for shebangs was officially added in ts-node v8.9.0.
Like Zeeshan Ahmad's answer, I also think ts-node is the way to go. I would also add a shebang and make it executable, so you can just run it directly.
Install typescript and ts-node globally:
npm install -g ts-node typescript
or
yarn global add ts-node typescript
Create a file hello with this content:
#!/usr/bin/env ts-node-script
import * as os from 'os'
function hello(name: string) {
return 'Hello, ' + name
}
const user = os.userInfo().username
console.log(`Result: ${hello(user)}`)
As you can see, line one has the shebang for ts-node
Run directly by just executing the file
$ ./hello
Result: Hello, root
Some notes:
This does not seem to work with ES modules, as Dan Dascalescu has pointed out.
See this issue discussing the best way to make a command line script with package linking, provided by Kaspar Etter. I have improved the shebang accordingly
Update 2020-04-06: Some changes after great input in the comments: Update shebang to use ts-node-script instead of ts-node, link to issues in ts-node.
Write yourself a simple bash wrapper may helps.
#!/bin/bash
npx tsc $1 && node ${1%%.ts}
For environments such as Webstorm where the node command cannot be changed to ts-node or npx:
npm install ts-node typescript (Install dependencies)
node --require ts-node/register src/foo.ts (Add --require ts-node/register to "Node parameters")
This answer may be premature, but deno supports running both TS and JS out of the box.
Based on your development environment, moving to Deno (and learning about it) might be too much, but hopefully this answer helps someone in the future.
Just in case anyone is insane like me and wants to just run typescript script as though it was a .js script, you can try this. I've written a hacky script that appears to execute the .ts script using node.
#!/usr/bin/env bash
NODEPATH="$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/v8.11.3/bin" # set path to your node/tsc
export TSC="$NODEPATH/tsc"
export NODE="$NODEPATH/node"
TSCFILE=$1 # only parameter is the name of the ts file you created.
function show_usage() {
echo "ts2node [ts file]"
exit 0
}
if [ "$TSCFILE" == "" ]
then
show_usage;
fi
JSFILE="$(echo $TSCFILE|cut -d"." -f 1).js"
$TSC $TSCFILE && $NODE $JSFILE
You can do this or write your own but essentially, it creates the .js file and then uses node to run it like so:
# tsrun myscript.ts
Simple. Just make sure your script only has one "." else you'll need to change your JSFILE in a different way than what I've shown.
Install ts-node node module globally.
Create node runtime configuration (for IDE) or use node in command line to run below file js file (The path is for windows, but you can do it for linux as well)
~\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\ts-node\dist\bin.js
Give your ts file path as a command line argument.
Run Or Debug as you like.
Create your TypeScript file (ex. app.ts)
npm i -D typescript ts-node -> to install the dev dependencies local
npx nodemon app.ts
Using nodemon, automatically recompile app.ts every time you change the file
Here is the command
tsc index.ts --outDir .temp && node .temp/index.js && rm -rf .temp
<<<<<<<<< Compile >>>>>>>>> <<<<<<< Run >>>>>>> << Clean >>
There is also an option to run code directly from the CLI, not the *.ts file itself.
It's perfectly described in the ts-node manual.
As a first step, install ts-node globally via npm, yarn, or whatever you like.
...and now just use ts-node -e 'console.log("Hello, world!")' (you may also add the -p flag for printing code)
This little command is perfect for checking, does everything installed fine. And for finding some other error, relevant with tsconfig.json options.
We can run it using nodemon as well
nodemon ./filepath/filename.ts
This question was posted in 2015. In 2018, node recognizes both .js and .ts. So, running node file.ts will also run.

how can I debug a node app that is started via the command line (cli) like forever or supervisor?

I'm familiar with debugging my own node apps (usually with node-inspector). Today I'd like to debug someone else's program. I'm trying to track down an issue with supervisor. So naturally I just add a --debug (or debug-brk) to the command call, but it passes that to the code that it is supervising.
I've tried adding debugger lines to the js file for supervisor but that didn't work (probably because no debugger was attached at that time). There's a bit of a race here -- I need to start the debugger and attach it to the supervisor process after it starts but before it processes its arguments from the command line.
What I really want to do here is stop supervisor and debug it before it processes its command line arguments. How can I do this?
I had the same problem while developing my hexo blog. The documentation isn't all that complete yet so I find myself needing to reverse engineer at times.
The basic idea is that in Node.js even your cli apps are simply normal node apps that you are exposing to the OS command line interface. On Unix systems you are using this line:
#!/usr/bin/env node
To allow the environment to execute the script.
Many cli based node apps try to insist that you install them globally with the -g option.
npm install -g node-inspector
I personally prefer to have as much control of my development environment as I can get, so I prefer to break some conventions and check my node_modules in to source control along with installing everything I can locally by dropping the -g.
npm install node-inspector
Now you don't have to do this in order to make this work, I'm just describing this setup because it relates to your question. When I run node-inspector I can't simply use:
node-inspector
Instead I must explicitly invoke it from within my project. I do this by executing the symlink in my node_modules/.bin folder:
node_modules/.bin/node-inspector
Now I'm running node-inspector just like you.
Next all I need to do is start the cli process in debug and optionally pass params to it:
node --debug-brk node_modules/.bin/hexo generate
Note I am explicitly calling the symlink here and not simply:
node --debug-brk hexo generate
If I tried the line above I would get an error: "Error: Cannot find module".
I hope this helps.

No command line utility for express/node windows 7

I can't run the command express from the windows 7 command line. A tutorial I am following (here) suggests that I use the command line and call express to build a skeleton application.
I move into the directory of the express module in my node_modules area and attempt to locate a batch file or executable that is able to run from the command line.
I have found nothing, there are no files included in the module that can be run from the command line.
I am now very confused.
Does anyone understand where this elusive express command line utility exists?
I have found the batch file.
All command files for modules that are meant to be invoked via the command prompt are found in node_modules\.bin
So make sure that is in your path environment variable.
It looks like Jonathan Lonowski was right - the guide is a bit outdated. The latest command for using the express generator is:
npm install -g express-generator
This will still give the same directory structure suggested in the tutorial.
More info on Express's Github page
You need to install the Express application generator, as described in Express Getting started document. Install it with the following command:
$ npm install express-generator –g
After that, you can run the command express from any windows 7 command line.

Error code: 800A1391 Source: Microsoft JScript runtime error Running Grunt - Module is undefined

New Grunt user here who is using a lot of new tools (npm nodejs) today.
I've got Grunt "installed" and have been able to create a grunt.js file using the init task as described here: http://net.tutsplus.com/tutorials/javascript-ajax/meeting-grunt-the-build-tool-for-javascript/ and here: https://github.com/cowboy/grunt/blob/master/docs/getting_started.md. But whenever I run the "grunt" command I get an error:
Windows Script Host
Script: c:\users\[]\Documents\code\grunt\grunt.js
Line: 2
Char: 1
Error: 'module' is undefined
Code: 800A1391
Source: Microsoft JScript runtime error
As explained in the FAQ, you need to type grunt.cmd instead on Windows because the OS tries to launch grunt.js
Or you can install grunt-cli globally instead. This package will run any version of Grunt if it's been installed locally to your project.
SOLVED !!
So, this problem occur because windows by default associative < *.js > files
with >>
"Microsoft Windows Based Script Host".
grunt need to open by default with (grunt.cmd).
it easy to slove, by change default app (open with..)
Guide :
Go to any javascript file with "js" extension. (any file)
Right-Click(mouse) > Properties > "Opens with:" Change...(button)
Choose Notepad ( or any javascript IDE ).
PROBLEM SOLVED ! :)
good luck
If you're getting a "Microsoft JScript runtime error" that means that node.js isn't even getting invoked; instead Windows Script Host is trying to run your code. That's probably a problem with filetype associations; IIRC Windows defaults to trying to execute a ".js" file with WSH. You may wind up having to create a shortcut to your script, specifying a command line (probably something like "node %1") and a starting directory in order to make sure that it's executed properly.
It would help if you could tell us exactly how you're trying to invoke your code.
it seems that in the latest versions of the grunt modules, you would have to do the following to have it work under windows:
remove any globally installed grunt
npm uninstall -g grunt
install grunt-cli globally
npm install -g grunt-cli
install grunt locally into your project
npm install grunt
installing grunt (v0.4.x) globally does not seem to create the necessary grunt.cmd anymore. it seems that the recommendation is now to have grunt installed locally to be able to use version-specific Gruntfiles
As Florian F suggested, running grunt.cmd works. This is because of the process Windows is looking for your grunt command.
When typing grunt -h Windows will proceed to look for the following files:
./grunt.cmd
./grunt.* (grunt.js is found in this case which is why you see "module is undefined")
%APPDATA%/npm/grunt.cmd
An alternative to using "grunt.cmd" is to use grunter which simply renames the command to grunter... then you no longer have this problem.
To answer this, first we need to understand that the error is caused because it is being executed by Windows Script Host.
Now, run the code from your cmd promt with the following syntax:
>node <application_name>.js
this will allow the Node.js application to open through V8 JavaScript engine(Google's).
P.S: Please reply back if this has helped in resolving your issue else post the problem you are facing after trying this.
I had a similar issue, the problem is file association, I would recommend:
right click on a .js file and choose open with.
then you choose nodejs/node.exe (somewhere in "program files" folder
then make tick box where it says "always open .js files " (paraphrasing)
That should do the trick.
I went through the same issue when running an old Node project.
The issue was with the name of the js file, it was node.js. So the while running the command node node.js, it was opening up a windows dialogue box.
I just changed the name of the file to app.js and the error flew away.
So, in my case i had tryed all the mentioned above with no result.
But i have fund that im dont type: node in the full sentence as the following snipet
node script.js.And remember never understimate your own miscoding.
Solution:
Go to any javascript file with "js" extension. (any file)
Right-Click(mouse) > Properties > "Opens with:" Change...(button)
Choose Notepad ( or any Javascript IDE like VS Code ).

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