Craig Jefferds
151 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
151 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
### Nexe
|
|
|
|
[](https://gitter.im/crcn/nexe?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge&utm_content=badge) [](https://david-dm.org/crcn/nexe)
|
|
|
|
Nexe is a command-line utility that compiles your Node.js application into a single executable file.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Motivation
|
|
|
|
- Ability to run multiple applications with *different* node.js runtimes.
|
|
- Distributable binaries without needing node / npm.
|
|
- Starts faster.
|
|
- Lockdown specific application versions, and easily rollback.
|
|
- Faster deployments.
|
|
|
|
## Requirements
|
|
|
|
- Linux / Mac / BSD / Windows
|
|
- Windows: Python 2.6 or 2.7 (in PATH), Visual Studio 2010 or 2012
|
|
|
|
## Caveats
|
|
|
|
### Doesn't support native modules
|
|
|
|
- Use the techniques below for working around dynamic require statements to exclude the module from the bundling, and deploy along side the executable in a node_module folder so your app can find it. Note: On windows you may need to have your app be named node.exe if .node file depends on node.
|
|
|
|
### Doesn't support dynamic require statements
|
|
|
|
Such As:
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
var x = require(someVar);
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
In this case nexe won't bundle the file
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
var x;
|
|
if (someCheck) {
|
|
x = require("./ver1.js");
|
|
} else {
|
|
x = require("./var2.js");
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
In this case nexe will bundle both files.
|
|
|
|
Workarounds:
|
|
1) for dynamic requires that you want bundled add the following into your project
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
var dummyToForceIncludeForBundle = false;
|
|
if (dummyToForceIncludeForBundle) {
|
|
require("./loadedDynamicallyLater.js");
|
|
// ...
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
this will trick the bundler into including them.
|
|
|
|
2) for dynamic files getting included that you don't want to be
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
var moduleName = "./ver2.js";
|
|
if (someCheck) {
|
|
moduleName = "./ver1.js";
|
|
}
|
|
var x = require(moduleName);
|
|
```
|
|
Note: neither file will be bundled.
|
|
|
|
Using these two techniques you can change your application code so modules are not bundles, and generate a includes.js file as part of your build process so that the right files get bundled for your build configuration.
|
|
|
|
### __dirname
|
|
|
|
Once the module is bundled it is part of the executable. __dirname is therefore the executable dir (process.execPath). Thus if you put resources on a relative path from the the executable your app will be able to access them.
|
|
|
|
If you had a data file at `/dev/myNodeApp/stateManager/handler/data/some.csv`
|
|
and a file at `/dev/myNodeApp/stateManager/handler/loader.js`
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
module.exports = fw.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, "./data/some.csv"));
|
|
```
|
|
You would need to deploy some.csv in a sub dir `data/` along side your executable
|
|
|
|
There are potential use cases for __dirname where the executable path is not the correct substitution, and could result in a silent error (possibly even in a dependency that you are unaware of).
|
|
|
|
Note: __filename will be 'undefined'
|
|
|
|
### child_process.fork
|
|
|
|
child_process.spawn works is unmodified, but child_process.fork will make an attempt to lunch a new instance of your executable and run the bundled module.
|
|
|
|
## Installation
|
|
|
|
Via NPM:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
npm install nexe [-g]
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Or git:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
git clone https://github.com/crcn/nexe.git
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### CLI Usage
|
|
|
|
```text
|
|
|
|
Usage: nexe -i [sources] -o [binary] [options]
|
|
|
|
Options:
|
|
-i, --input The entry javascript files [default: cwd]
|
|
-o, --output The output binary [default: cwd/release/app.nex]
|
|
-r, --runtime The node.js runtime to use [default: "latest"]
|
|
-t, --temp The path to store node.js sources [default: cwd/tmp/nexe]
|
|
-f, --flags Don't parse node and v8 flags, pass through app flags [default: false]
|
|
-v, --version Display version number
|
|
-p, --python Set path of python to use. [default: "python"]
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Code Usage
|
|
|
|
```javascript
|
|
|
|
var nexe = require('nexe');
|
|
|
|
nexe.compile({
|
|
input: 'input.js',
|
|
output: 'path/to/bin',
|
|
nodeVersion: '0.12.0',
|
|
nodeTempDir: __dirname,
|
|
python: 'path/to/python',
|
|
resourceFiles: [ 'path/to/a/file' ],
|
|
flags: true
|
|
}, function(err) {
|
|
console.log(err);
|
|
});
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
## Maintainers
|
|
|
|
* __Jared Allard__ ([@rainbowdashdc](https://github.com/RainbowDashDC)) <[rainbowdashdc@mezgrman.de](mailto:rainbowdashdc@mezgrman.de)> (Active)
|
|
* __Craig Jefferds__ ([@crcn](https://github.com/crcn)) <[craig.j.condon@gmail.com](mailto:craig.j.condon@gmail.com)> (Not Active)
|