@nrwl/devkit

What is @nrwl/devkit?

The @nrwl/devkit package is a set of utilities designed to improve the developer experience by providing tools for building, testing, and managing Angular and React projects within a monorepo setup. It is part of the Nx ecosystem, which focuses on bringing a unified approach to working with modern web technologies.

What are @nrwl/devkit's main functionalities?

Generating Components

This feature allows developers to programmatically generate components or other files within their project. The code sample demonstrates how to use the `generateFiles` function to create a new component in a library within the monorepo.

import { generateFiles } from '@nrwl/devkit';
function generateMyComponent(tree, schema) {
  generateFiles(tree, path.join(__dirname, './files'), '/libs/mylib/src/lib', {
    tmpl: '',
    name: schema.name
  });
}

Updating JSON Configuration

This feature provides a straightforward way to update JSON files, such as `tsconfig.json` or `.eslintrc.json`, programmatically. The code sample shows how to modify the `tsconfig.base.json` to add a new path mapping for a library.

import { updateJson } from '@nrwl/devkit';
function updateTsConfig(tree) {
  updateJson(tree, 'tsconfig.base.json', (json) => {
    json.compilerOptions.paths['@myorg/mylib'] = ['libs/mylib/src/index.ts'];
    return json;
  });
}

Executing Schematic Tasks

This feature enables developers to execute tasks such as adding project configurations or formatting files. The code sample illustrates how to add a new library configuration to the workspace and then format all files according to the workspace's prettier or eslint configurations.

import { addProjectConfiguration, Tree, formatFiles } from '@nrwl/devkit';
function addMyLib(tree: Tree) {
  addProjectConfiguration(tree, 'my-lib', {
    root: './libs/my-lib',
    projectType: 'library',
    targets: {},
  });
  formatFiles(tree);
}

Other packages similar to @nrwl/devkit

lerna

Lerna is a tool for managing JavaScript projects with multiple packages, similar to the Nx workspace concept. While Lerna focuses on multi-package repositories (monorepos), it does not provide the same level of integration for Angular and React projects or the same developer tools and utilities as @nrwl/devkit.

yeoman-generator

Yeoman is a generic scaffolding system allowing the creation of any kind of app. It provides generators for a wide variety of applications and frameworks. Compared to @nrwl/devkit, Yeoman is more flexible but lacks the specific optimizations and integrations for Angular and React projects within a monorepo setup.

README

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Nx: Smart, Fast and Extensible Build System

Nx is a next generation build system with first class monorepo support and powerful integrations.

This package contains a set of utilities for creating Nx plugins.

Getting Started

Creating an Nx Workspace

Using npx

npx create-nx-workspace

Using npm init

npm init nx-workspace

Using yarn create

yarn create nx-workspace

The create-nx-workspace command will ask you to select a preset, which will configure some plugins and create your applications to help you get started.

? What to create in the new workspace (Use arrow keys)
❯ apps              [an empty workspace with no plugins with a layout that works best for building apps]
  core              [an empty workspace with no plugins set up to publish npm packages (similar to yarn workspaces)]
  ts                [an empty workspace with the JS/TS plugin preinstalled]
  react             [a workspace with a single React application]
  angular           [a workspace with a single Angular application]
  next.js           [a workspace with a single Next.js application]
  nest              [a workspace with a single Nest application]
  express           [a workspace with a single Express application]
  web components    [a workspace with a single app built using web components]
  react-native      [a workspace with a single React Native application]
  react-express     [a workspace with a full stack application (React + Express)]

Select the preset that works best for you

Adding Nx to an Existing Monorepo

Run:

npx add-nx-to-monorepo@latest

Documentation & Resources

A few links to help you get started:

• Nx.Dev: Documentation, Guides, Interactive Tutorials
• Tutorial: Adding Nx to an Existing Monorepo
• Official Nx YouTube Channel
• Blog Posts About Nx