ebx

EBX: for Building and Running TypeScript Code

Introduction

EBX stands for ES Module Build and Execute and works well with CommonJS (CJS).

EBX is a powerful tool designed to simplify the process of building and running TypeScript code within a Node.js environment. With a focus on ECMAScript Modules (ESM), EBX streamlines the development workflow, automating essential tasks while requiring zero configuration from developers.

EBX takes advantage of the lightning-fast build tool esbuild as its foundation.

The standout feature of EBX is its parallel type checking mechanism. Unlike traditional methods that halt the development process until type checking completes, our approach offloads type checking to a child process. This asynchronous approach frees developers to continue working on their code without interruptions.

Installation

You can install EBX globally using the following command:

npm install -g ebx

Usage

After installing EBX, you can use it from the command line as follows:

ebx [options] <filename>

Where <filename> is the name of the TypeScript file you want to build and run.

Options

EBX provides several options that you can use to customize the build and run process:

• -w, --watch: Watch for changes in the source files and automatically rebuild when changes are detected.
• -r, --run: Run the compiled program after a successful build.
• -nc, --no-clean: Do not clean the build output directory before building.
• -s, --sourcemap: Generate sourcemaps for the compiled JavaScript code.
• --tsconfig <tsconfig>: Path to a custom TypeScript configuration file (tsconfig.json).
• -m, --minify: Minify the output JavaScript code.
• --ignore-types: Ignore type errors.

Example Usage

1. Basic Build and Run:

   To build and run a TypeScript file named app.ts, use the following command:

   ebx -r app.ts
   

   To build ES Modules (ESM) just add "type": "module" in your package.json file

2. Watching Changes:

   To watch for changes in the app.ts file and automatically rebuild and run it when changes occur:

   ebx -w -r app.ts
   

3. Custom Configuration:

   To use a custom TypeScript configuration file named tsconfig.custom.json and generate sourcemaps:

   ebx -s --tsconfig tsconfig.custom.json -r app.ts
   

4. Minification:

   To enable minification building and running app.ts:

   ebx -m app.ts
   

ES Modules

Modern JavaScript development often involves utilizing ES6 module syntax, which provides a more organized and efficient way to structure and manage code dependencies. To facilitate this, Node.js introduced support for ES Modules (ESM) in its ecosystem. By default, Node.js uses CommonJS (CJS) module syntax, but with the addition of the "type": "module" field in the package.json, it will transpile codes into ESM syntax.

Default output directory is dist, if you want to change to something else define main in package.json ex: "main": "lib/app.js" it will now compile and run app.js in lib directory

Integration with NestJS

Step 1: Installation

To integrate EBX with your NestJS project, follow these steps:

1. Install EBX as a development dependency using the following command:

   yarn add -D ebx
   

Step 2: Configuration

1. Add the following scripts to your package.json file:

   {
     "scripts": {
       "start:dev": "ebx src/main.ts --watch --run --sourcemap",
       "build": "ebx src/main.ts"
     }
   }
   

2. Update tsconfig.json file:

   {
     "compilerOptions": {
       "moduleResolution": "Bundler",
       "module": "ESNext"
     }
   }
   

   • The start:dev script uses EBX to watch the src/main.ts file, run the development server, and generate source maps for debugging purposes.
   • The build script uses EBX to build your project.

3. If you want to use ES modules (ESM), ensure that you have "type": "module" in your package.json file.

Step 3: Example

For a practical example of integrating EBX with NestJS, you can refer to the following GitHub repository:

• EBX Example NestJS

Integration with ExpressJS

EBX Example ExpressJS with PNP

Harness the power of EBX to bundle and optimize your Node.js backend applications built with NestJS, ExpressJS or any other.

Conclusion

EBX simplifies the process of building and running TypeScript code by providing a command-line interface. Its customizable options make it a versatile tool for various development workflows, and its ability to watch for changes and run the compiled program makes it suitable for both development and testing purposes.