Using Nodemon (with examples)

Nodemon is a powerful tool for developing Node.js applications. It watches files for changes and automatically restarts the application when it detects any modifications. This saves developers from manually stopping and starting the application during development, making the development process more efficient.

Executing a file and watching for changes

One of the most common use cases for Nodemon is to execute a Node.js file and automatically watch it for any changes. This can be done using the following command:

nodemon path/to/file.js

In this example, path/to/file.js should be replaced with the actual path to the Node.js file you want to execute and watch. Nodemon will start the application and continue running it in the background. If any changes are made to the file, Nodemon will automatically restart the application.

Manually restarting Nodemon

Sometimes, you may want to manually restart Nodemon instead of waiting for it to automatically detect file changes. To do this, you can use the following command:

rs

This command will manually trigger a restart of the Nodemon process. It’s important to note that Nodemon must already be active for this command to work.

Ignoring specific files

In some cases, you may want to ignore specific files or directories when using Nodemon. This can be done by adding the --ignore flag followed by the path to the file or directory you want to ignore. For example:

nodemon --ignore path/to/file_or_directory

This command tells Nodemon to ignore the specified file or directory and not watch for any changes in it. This can be useful if you have temporary files or log files that you don’t want Nodemon to restart the application for.

Passing arguments to the node application

Nodemon allows you to pass arguments to the Node.js application being executed. This can be done by including the arguments after the file path. For example:

nodemon path/to/file.js arguments

In this example, arguments should be replaced with the actual arguments you want to pass to the Node.js application. These arguments will be passed directly to the application when it is executed by Nodemon.

Passing arguments to node itself

If you want to pass arguments to the Node.js interpreter itself, you can do so by including them before the file path. These arguments should be added before the file path and after the nodemon command. For example:

nodemon arguments path/to/file.js

In this example, arguments should be replaced with any arguments you want to pass to the Node.js interpreter itself. These arguments will be used by Node.js when executing the application.

Running an arbitrary non-node script

While Nodemon is primarily used for Node.js applications, it also allows you to run arbitrary non-node scripts. This can be useful if you want to run a script written in a different language. To do this, you can use the --exec flag followed by the command to run the script and its options. For example:

nodemon --exec "command_to_run_script options" path/to/script

In this example, command_to_run_script options should be replaced with the actual command to run the script and any options it requires. Nodemon will execute this command when watching for changes in the script file.

Running a Python script

Nodemon can also be used to run Python scripts. To do this, you can use the --exec flag followed by the python command and any options required to run the Python script. For example:

nodemon --exec "python options" path/to/file.py

In this example, options should be replaced with any options or arguments required to run the Python script. Nodemon will execute the python command with these options, running the Python script when changes are detected.

By using Nodemon, developers can streamline their development process by automatically restarting their applications whenever changes are made. This saves time and effort, allowing for faster and more efficient development.

Note: The above examples assume that Nodemon is already installed globally on your system. If not, you can install it by running npm install -g nodemon.