@babel/cli

What is @babel/cli?

The @babel/cli package is a command-line interface for Babel, a widely used JavaScript compiler. It allows developers to compile their JavaScript files using Babel directly from the command line. This package is particularly useful for compiling modern JavaScript down to a version that is compatible with older browsers or environments. It supports various functionalities such as file transformation, watching files for changes, and outputting the compiled code.

What are @babel/cli's main functionalities?

File Transformation

This feature allows you to transform a single JavaScript file. The command takes an input file (src/index.js) and compiles it into an output file (compiled.js).

babel src/index.js --out-file compiled.js

Directory Transformation

Transforms all JavaScript files in a directory. This command compiles all files in the 'src' directory and outputs the compiled files into the 'lib' directory.

babel src --out-dir lib

Watch Mode

Automatically recompiles files when they change. This command watches all files in the 'src' directory for changes and recompiles them to the 'lib' directory whenever any file is modified.

babel src --watch --out-dir lib

Other packages similar to @babel/cli

typescript

TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that compiles down to plain JavaScript. It offers type checking and is aimed at the development of large applications. While TypeScript provides its own compiler, it serves a slightly different purpose than @babel/cli but overlaps in the sense that both compile code to JavaScript.

webpack

Webpack is a static module bundler for JavaScript applications. It processes applications and bundles them into one or more bundles. It can be configured to use Babel through loaders (e.g., babel-loader) for compiling JavaScript. Webpack offers a broader range of functionalities compared to @babel/cli, including bundling, asset management, and optimization features.

rollup

Rollup is another module bundler for JavaScript which focuses on the efficiency of the final bundles. Similar to Webpack, it can integrate with Babel to compile JavaScript files. Rollup is often preferred for library development due to its efficient bundling strategy. It provides similar compilation features when used with Babel but is more focused on the bundling aspect.

README

@babel/cli

Babel command line.

In addition, various entry point scripts live in the top-level package at @babel/cli/bin.

There is a shell-executable utility script, babel-external-helpers.js, and the main Babel cli script, babel.js.

Install

npm install --save-dev @babel/core @babel/cli

Usage

babel script.js

For more in depth documentation see: http://babeljs.io/docs/usage/cli/