@vercel/ncc

What is @vercel/ncc?

@vercel/ncc is a simple CLI tool used to compile a Node.js project into a single file, including all of its dependencies. This can be useful for reducing the complexity of deployment, improving startup time, and simplifying the distribution of Node.js applications.

What are @vercel/ncc's main functionalities?

Compile a Node.js project

This command compiles the Node.js project starting from 'src/index.js' and outputs the result to the 'dist' directory. The output will be a single JavaScript file that includes all dependencies.

ncc build src/index.js -o dist

Minify the output

This command compiles and minifies the Node.js project starting from 'src/index.js' and outputs the result to the 'dist' directory. Minification reduces the file size by removing unnecessary characters and whitespace.

ncc build src/index.js -o dist --minify

Source maps generation

This command compiles the Node.js project and generates source maps, which are useful for debugging. The source maps help map the minified code back to the original source code.

ncc build src/index.js -o dist --source-map

Watch mode

This command runs @vercel/ncc in watch mode, which means it will automatically recompile the project whenever a file changes. This is useful for development purposes.

ncc build src/index.js -o dist --watch

Other packages similar to @vercel/ncc

webpack

Webpack is a popular module bundler for JavaScript applications. It can bundle multiple modules into a single file or multiple files, and it offers a wide range of plugins and configuration options. Compared to @vercel/ncc, Webpack is more flexible and can be used for both frontend and backend projects, but it requires more configuration.

rollup

Rollup is a module bundler for JavaScript that focuses on ES6 modules. It is known for its tree-shaking feature, which removes unused code from the final bundle. Rollup is often used for libraries and smaller projects. Compared to @vercel/ncc, Rollup provides more control over the bundling process but may require additional plugins for certain features.

parcel

Parcel is a zero-configuration bundler that works out of the box. It supports both JavaScript and TypeScript and can handle various types of assets like CSS, HTML, and images. Parcel is designed to be easy to use and fast. Compared to @vercel/ncc, Parcel is more suitable for frontend projects and offers a simpler setup process.

README

ncc

Simple CLI for compiling a Node.js module into a single file, together with all its dependencies, gcc-style.

Motivation

• Publish minimal packages to npm
• Only ship relevant app code to serverless environments
• Don't waste time configuring bundlers
• Generally faster bootup time and less I/O overhead
• Compiled language-like experience (e.g.: go)

Design goals

• Zero configuration
• TypeScript built-in
• Only supports Node.js programs as input / output
• Support all Node.js patterns and npm modules

Usage

Installation

npm i -g @vercel/ncc

Usage

$ ncc <cmd> <opts>

Eg:

$ ncc build input.js -o dist

If building an .mjs or .js module inside a "type": "module" package boundary, an ES module output will be created automatically.

Outputs the Node.js compact build of input.js into dist/index.js.

Note: If the input file is using a .cjs extension, then so will the corresponding output file. This is useful for packages that want to use .js files as modules in native Node.js using a "type": "module" in the package.json file.

Commands:

  build <input-file> [opts]
  run <input-file> [opts]
  cache clean|dir|size
  help
  version

Options:

  -o, --out [dir]          Output directory for build (defaults to dist)
  -m, --minify             Minify output
  -C, --no-cache           Skip build cache population
  -s, --source-map         Generate source map
  -a, --asset-builds       Build nested JS assets recursively, useful for
                           when code is loaded as an asset eg for workers.
  --no-source-map-register Skip source-map-register source map support
  -e, --external [mod]     Skip bundling 'mod'. Can be used many times
  -q, --quiet              Disable build summaries / non-error outputs
  -w, --watch              Start a watched build
  -t, --transpile-only     Use transpileOnly option with the ts-loader
  --v8-cache               Emit a build using the v8 compile cache
  --license [file]         Adds a file containing licensing information to the output
  --stats-out [file]       Emit webpack stats as json to the specified output file
  --target [es]            ECMAScript target to use for output (default: es2015)
                           Learn more: https://webpack.js.org/configuration/target
  -d, --debug              Show debug logs

Execution Testing

For testing and debugging, a file can be built into a temporary directory and executed with full source maps support with the command:

$ ncc run input.js

With TypeScript

The only requirement is to point ncc to .ts or .tsx files. A tsconfig.json file is necessary. Most likely you want to indicate es2015 support:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "es2015",
    "moduleResolution": "node"
  }
}

If typescript is found in devDependencies, that version will be used.

Package Support

Some packages may need some extra options for ncc support in order to better work with the static analysis.

See package-support.md for some common packages and their usage with ncc.

Programmatically From Node.js

require('@vercel/ncc')('/path/to/input', {
  // provide a custom cache path or disable caching
  cache: "./custom/cache/path" | false,
  // externals to leave as requires of the build
  externals: ["externalpackage"],
  // directory outside of which never to emit assets
  filterAssetBase: process.cwd(), // default
  minify: false, // default
  sourceMap: false, // default
  assetBuilds: false, // default
  sourceMapBasePrefix: '../', // default treats sources as output-relative
  // when outputting a sourcemap, automatically include
  // source-map-support in the output file (increases output by 32kB).
  sourceMapRegister: true, // default
  watch: false, // default
  license: '', // default does not generate a license file
  target: 'es2015', // default
  v8cache: false, // default
  quiet: false, // default
  debugLog: false // default
}).then(({ code, map, assets }) => {
  console.log(code);
  // Assets is an object of asset file names to { source, permissions, symlinks }
  // expected relative to the output code (if any)
})

When watch: true is set, the build object is not a promise, but has the following signature:

{
  // handler re-run on each build completion
  // watch errors are reported on "err"
  handler (({ err, code, map, assets }) => { ... })
  // handler re-run on each rebuild start
  rebuild (() => {})
  // close the watcher
  void close ();
}

Caveats

• Files / assets are relocated based on a static evaluator. Dynamic non-statically analyzable asset loads may not work out correctly