How to use the command 'spike' (with examples)
Spike is a fully featured static website generator written in JavaScript. It allows you to easily create and compile static websites, watch for changes, and auto-reload the browser. This article will illustrate various use cases of the ‘spike’ command.
Use case 1: Create a new project using the default template
Code:
spike new project_name
Motivation: Creating a new project using the default template is the first step in starting a static website project with Spike. This command sets up the basic structure and necessary files for the project.
Explanation:
spike new: This command is used to create a new project.project_name: This argument represents the desired name for your new project. Replace ‘project_name’ with the actual name of your project.
Example output:
✔ New Spike project generated successfully!
✔ Installing project dependencies.
✔ Project setup complete. Happy spiking!
Use case 2: Compile your project, watch for changes, and auto-reload the browser
Code:
spike watch
Motivation: When working on a static website, it’s often helpful to see changes in real-time without having to manually reload the browser every time. The ‘spike watch’ command does exactly that, automating the compilation process and keeping the browser in sync with the changes.
Explanation:
spike watch: This command compiles your project and starts a server that watches for changes in the source files. It automatically reloads the browser whenever a change is detected.
Example output:
✔ Compiling project.
✔ Watching for changes.
✔ Server started at http://localhost:1111
Use case 3: Compile your project once to the “public” directory
Code:
spike compile
Motivation: The ‘spike compile’ command is useful when you want to build your static website once without watching for changes. This is helpful for generating a final version of your website after making all the desired modifications.
Explanation:
spike compile: This command compiles your project once to the “public” directory, which contains the final output of your static website.
Example output:
✔ Compiling project.
✔ Project compiled successfully to public directory.
Use case 4: Remove the output directory
Code:
spike clean
Motivation: After compiling your project multiple times, there might be a need to clean up the output directory to remove all the generated files. The ‘spike clean’ command provides an easy way to clean up the project directory.
Explanation:
spike clean: This command removes the entire output directory, including all the generated files.
Example output:
✔ Removing output directory.
✔ Output directory cleaned successfully.
Conclusion:
The ‘spike’ command is a powerful static website generator that provides a wide range of functionality for creating and managing static websites. Whether you want to start a new project, watch for changes, compile your project once, or clean up the output directory, the ‘spike’ command has got you covered.
