watchexec is a simple, standalone tool that executes commands in response to file modifications.
Installation
macOS via Homebrew
brew install watchexec
Via Cargo (Rust)
cargo install watchexec-cli
Precompiled binaries for Linux and Windows are available from the Watchexec GitHub Releases.
Getting Started
# Run npm test whenever .js or .jsx files change
watchexec --exts js,jsx -- npm test
# Watch specific directories lib/ and test/
watchexec -w lib -w test -- npm test
Options & Flags
Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-c, --clear |
Clear screen before executing command |
-r, --restart |
Restart process if it is still running |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-s, --signal SIGKILL |
Signal sent to terminate existing process |
-d, --debounce MS |
Debounce interval in milliseconds |
-e, --exts EXTS |
Comma-separated list of file extensions |
-i, --ignore PATTERN |
Ignore file or directory patterns |
-w, --watch PATH |
Watch specific files or directories |