How to Use the 'live-server' Command (with Examples)

The ’live-server’ command is a straightforward development HTTP server equipped with live reload capability, making it an essential tool for web developers. This tool automatically refreshes your web page whenever you make changes to your files, significantly speeding up the development process by eliminating the need for manual refreshing. Its simplicity and effectiveness make it widely used for static or single-page web applications. You can find more information about this command on its GitHub page .

Use case 1: Serve an index.html File and Reload on Changes

Code:

live-server

Motivation:

Using live-server without any additional arguments is the most basic and common use case. As a developer, you frequently need to test small tweaks and changes in your code. This command automatically reloads your web pages whenever a change is detected, saving you the hassle of manually refreshing the browser. It’s particularly useful for quickly testing changes to front-end code.

Explanation:

• The command live-server is executed without any additional arguments, meaning it will serve files from the current directory by default and look for a file named index.html. When the file or any other files in the directory are updated, the server detects these changes and refreshes the web page automatically. This is the default behavior and a perfectly simple setup for a rapid development environment.

Example Output:

Once run, the command opens the default web browser pointed to http://127.0.0.1:8080, serving the index.html file. Any detected changes to the file results in the browser window reloading automatically.

Use case 2: Specify a Port from Which to Serve a File

Code:

live-server --port=8081

Motivation:

Network configuration or development requirements may necessitate serving your HTTP content from a specific port other than the default port (8080). For instance, you may be running multiple development servers for different projects concurrently on your system, prompting the use of an alternative open port to avoid port conflicts.

Explanation:

• --port=8081: This argument tells live-server to operate on port 8081 instead of the default 8080. The --port flag allows for flexible assignment of any available port, ensuring compatibility and avoiding port-specific constraints or conflicts within your local environment.

Example Output:

Invoking the command with the specified port opens your default web browser to http://127.0.0.1:8081. The server behaves the same as in the previous example but on the different designated port.

Use case 3: Specify a Given File to Serve

Code:

live-server --open=about.html

Motivation:

In many development projects, multiple HTML files exist, and you might want to work on or showcase a specific file rather than the default index.html. Specifying a file upon startup is particularly useful when focusing on a particular section or feature of a website or application, allowing immediate feedback only on the page of interest.

Explanation:

• --open=about.html: This argument specifies the file about.html to be opened by live-server instead of the default index.html. The --open flag allows you to direct the server to load any HTML file of your choice in the browser, reflecting changes during development.

Example Output:

Upon running this command, live-server will automatically open about.html in your default browser at http://127.0.0.1:8080. Changes saved to this file result in immediate browser reloads, updating the web page accordingly.

Use case 4: Proxy All Requests for ROUTE to URL

Code:

live-server --proxy=/:http://localhost:3000

Motivation:

Modern web applications often require interaction with server-side features such as RESTful APIs. This use case allows developers to set up a proxy for API requests to backend services running on different ports, making local development processes more streamlined and consistent with production environments.

Explanation:

• --proxy=/:http://localhost:3000: This flag enables a proxy where all requests on the root route / are redirected to http://localhost:3000. It is beneficial for routing requests through a different server, helping developers simulate more complex server interactions locally without modifying application code.

Example Output:

After executing the command, any requests made to address paths from http://127.0.0.1:8080 are proxied to http://localhost:3000. This setup allows you to effectively interact with and test services like databases or APIs running on another port or server, maintaining seamless front and backend integration during development.

Conclusion:

The ’live-server’ command offers a versatile and user-friendly solution for web developers seeking to streamline their development workflows. Whether you are serving simple HTML files or bridging communications between front-end and server-side applications, live-server provides essential functionalities that support rapid iterations, effective testing, and flexibility in network configurations.