tsrun is a lightweight TypeScript execution tool that lets you run .ts files directly—no build step required. It's like running JavaScript with node, but for TypeScript. Under the hood, tsrun uses tsx for lightning-fast execution while keeping your workflow simple and efficient.

Installation

npm install -g @git.zone/tsrun

Or as a project dependency:

npm install --save-dev @git.zone/tsrun

Usage

🚀 CLI Usage

Simply run any TypeScript file:

tsrun myScript.ts

Pass arguments to your script transparently:

tsrun myScript.ts --config production --verbose

All arguments are passed through to your TypeScript program, just as if you were running it with node.

💻 Programmatic API

tsrun provides three powerful functions for different execution needs:

runPath() - Simple Execution

Wait for a script to complete. Perfect for sequential workflows.

import { runPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

// Run a TypeScript file (absolute or relative path)
await runPath('./scripts/build.ts');

// With path resolution relative to a file URL
await runPath('./build.ts', import.meta.url);

// With custom working directory
await runPath('./build.ts', import.meta.url, { cwd: '/path/to/project' });

runCli() - CLI Mode

Run with process.argv integration, as if invoked from command line.

import { runCli } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

// Respects process.argv for argument passing
await runCli('./script.ts');

spawnPath() - Advanced Control

Full process control with stdio access, timeouts, and cancellation.

import { spawnPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

// Returns immediately with process handle
const proc = spawnPath('./task.ts', import.meta.url, {
  timeout: 30000,
  cwd: '/path/to/project',
  env: { NODE_ENV: 'production' },
  args: ['--verbose']
});

// Access stdout/stderr streams
proc.stdout?.on('data', (chunk) => console.log(chunk.toString()));

// Wait for completion
const exitCode = await proc.exitCode;

Features

✨ Zero Configuration - Just point and shoot. No tsconfig tweaking required.

⚡ Fast Execution - Powered by tsx for near-instant TypeScript execution.

🔄 Transparent Arguments - Command line arguments pass through seamlessly to your scripts.

📦 Dual Interface - Use as a CLI tool or import as a library in your code.

🎯 TypeScript Native - Full TypeScript support with excellent IntelliSense.

🔀 Custom Working Directory - Execute scripts with different cwds for parallel multi-project workflows.

🎛️ Advanced Process Control - Full control with spawnPath() for stdio access, timeouts, and cancellation.

Why tsrun?

Sometimes you just want to run a TypeScript file without setting up a build pipeline, configuring webpack, or waiting for tsc to compile. That's where tsrun shines:

Quick Scripts: Write and run TypeScript scripts as easily as bash scripts
Prototyping: Test ideas without project setup overhead
Development Workflows: Integrate TypeScript execution into your tooling
CI/CD: Run TypeScript-based build scripts without pre-compilation

Common Use Cases

Development Scripts

// scripts/dev-setup.ts
import { runPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

console.log('Setting up development environment...');
await runPath('./install-deps.ts', import.meta.url);
await runPath('./init-db.ts', import.meta.url);
await runPath('./seed-data.ts', import.meta.url);
console.log('✓ Development environment ready!');

Multi-Project Builds

// build-all-projects.ts
import { runPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

const projects = [
  '/workspace/frontend',
  '/workspace/backend',
  '/workspace/shared'
];

await Promise.all(
  projects.map(cwd =>
    runPath('./build.ts', import.meta.url, { cwd })
  )
);

Long-Running Tasks with Monitoring

// monitor-task.ts
import { spawnPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

const proc = spawnPath('./data-migration.ts', import.meta.url, {
  timeout: 300000,  // 5 minutes max
  env: { LOG_LEVEL: 'verbose' }
});

let lineCount = 0;
proc.stdout?.on('data', (chunk) => {
  lineCount++;
  if (lineCount % 100 === 0) {
    console.log(`Processed ${lineCount} lines...`);
  }
});

try {
  await proc.exitCode;
  console.log('Migration completed successfully!');
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Migration failed:', error.message);
  process.exit(1);
}

API Reference

Choose the right function for your use case:

Function	Use When	Returns	Execution Mode
`runPath()`	Simple script execution, sequential workflows	Promise (waits)	In-process (or child with cwd)
`runCli()`	Need process.argv integration	Promise (waits)	In-process
`spawnPath()`	Need process control, stdio access, timeout/cancel	Process handle	Child process

Quick decision guide:

🎯 Need to wait for completion? → Use runPath() or runCli()
🎛️ Need to capture output or control process? → Use spawnPath()
⚡ Running multiple scripts in parallel? → Use runPath() with custom cwd or spawnPath()
⏱️ Need timeout or cancellation? → Use spawnPath()

Examples

Simple Script

// hello.ts
console.log('Hello from TypeScript! 🎉');

const greet = (name: string): string => {
  return `Welcome, ${name}!`;
};

console.log(greet('Developer'));

Run it:

tsrun hello.ts
# Output:
# Hello from TypeScript! 🎉
# Welcome, Developer!

With Command Line Arguments

// deploy.ts
const environment = process.argv[2] || 'development';
const verbose = process.argv.includes('--verbose');

console.log(`Deploying to ${environment}...`);
if (verbose) {
  console.log('Verbose mode enabled');
}

Run it:

tsrun deploy.ts production --verbose
# Output:
# Deploying to production...
# Verbose mode enabled

Programmatic Execution

// runner.ts
import { runPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

const scripts = [
  './scripts/setup.ts',
  './scripts/migrate.ts',
  './scripts/seed.ts'
];

for (const script of scripts) {
  console.log(`Running ${script}...`);
  await runPath(script, import.meta.url);
  console.log(`✓ ${script} completed`);
}

Running with Custom Working Directory

Execute TypeScript files with a different working directory using the cwd option. This is especially useful for parallel execution across multiple projects:

import { runPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

// Run with custom cwd
await runPath('./build.ts', undefined, { cwd: '/path/to/project-a' });

// Parallel execution with different cwds (safe and isolated)
await Promise.all([
  runPath('./deploy.ts', undefined, { cwd: '/projects/frontend' }),
  runPath('./deploy.ts', undefined, { cwd: '/projects/backend' }),
  runPath('./deploy.ts', undefined, { cwd: '/projects/api' })
]);

How it works:

When cwd is provided, the script executes in a child process for complete isolation
Without cwd, execution happens in-process (faster, less overhead)
Child processes inherit all environment variables and stdio connections
Perfect for running the same script across multiple project directories

Notes:

Output from parallel executions may interleave on the console
Each child process runs with its own isolated working directory
Exit codes and signals are properly forwarded

Advanced Process Control with spawnPath()

For advanced use cases requiring full process control, stdio access, or timeout/cancellation support, use spawnPath(). Unlike runPath() which waits for completion, spawnPath() returns immediately with a process handle.

import { spawnPath } from '@git.zone/tsrun';

// Basic spawning with output capture
const proc = spawnPath('./build.ts', import.meta.url);

proc.stdout?.on('data', (chunk) => {
  console.log('Output:', chunk.toString());
});

proc.stderr?.on('data', (chunk) => {
  console.error('Error:', chunk.toString());
});

const exitCode = await proc.exitCode;
console.log(`Process exited with code ${exitCode}`);

With timeout and custom environment:

const proc = spawnPath('./long-running-task.ts', import.meta.url, {
  timeout: 30000,  // Kill after 30 seconds
  cwd: '/path/to/project',
  env: {
    NODE_ENV: 'production',
    API_KEY: 'secret'
  },
  args: ['--mode', 'fast']
});

try {
  const exitCode = await proc.exitCode;
  console.log('Task completed:', exitCode);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Task failed or timed out:', error.message);
}

AbortController integration:

const controller = new AbortController();
const proc = spawnPath('./task.ts', import.meta.url, {
  signal: controller.signal
});

// Cancel after 5 seconds
setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 5000);

try {
  await proc.exitCode;
} catch (error) {
  console.log('Process was aborted');
}

Graceful termination:

const proc = spawnPath('./server.ts', import.meta.url);

// Later: gracefully shut down
// Sends SIGTERM, waits 5s, then SIGKILL if still running
await proc.terminate();

Key differences from runPath():

Feature	runPath()	spawnPath()
Returns	Promise (waits)	Process handle (immediate)
Default execution	In-process (unless cwd)	Always child process
stdio	'inherit' (transparent)	'pipe' (capturable)
Process control	Limited	Full (streams, signals, timeout)
Use case	Simple script execution	Complex process management

Package Information

npmjs: @git.zone/tsrun
Source: git.zone | GitLab Mirror | GitHub Mirror
Documentation: TypeDoc

Requirements

Node.js: >= 16.x
TypeScript: >= 3.x (automatically handled by tsx)

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Cannot find module" errors

Make sure you're using absolute paths or paths relative to import.meta.url:

// ❌ Wrong - relative to cwd
await runPath('./script.ts');

// ✅ Correct - relative to current file
await runPath('./script.ts', import.meta.url);

Process hangs or doesn't complete

When using spawnPath(), make sure to await the exitCode promise:

const proc = spawnPath('./script.ts', import.meta.url);
// Don't forget to await!
await proc.exitCode;

Timeout not working

Timeouts only work with spawnPath(), not with runPath():

// ❌ Wrong - timeout is ignored
await runPath('./script.ts', import.meta.url, { timeout: 5000 });

// ✅ Correct - use spawnPath for timeout support
const proc = spawnPath('./script.ts', import.meta.url, { timeout: 5000 });
await proc.exitCode;

Environment variables not available

The env option automatically merges with process.env - your custom values override parent values:

// Parent env is automatically inherited
spawnPath('./script.ts', import.meta.url, {
  env: {
    CUSTOM_VAR: 'value'  // Added to parent env
  }
});

// Script will see both process.env AND CUSTOM_VAR

License and Legal Information

This repository contains open-source code that is licensed under the MIT License. A copy of the MIT License can be found in the license file within this repository.

Please note: The MIT License does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the project, except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the origin of the work and reproducing the content of the NOTICE file.

Trademarks

This project is owned and maintained by Task Venture Capital GmbH. The names and logos associated with Task Venture Capital GmbH and any related products or services are trademarks of Task Venture Capital GmbH and are not included within the scope of the MIT license granted herein. Use of these trademarks must comply with Task Venture Capital GmbH's Trademark Guidelines, and any usage must be approved in writing by Task Venture Capital GmbH.

readme.md

@git.zone/tsrun

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What is tsrun?