@git.zone/tswatch

A powerful, config-driven TypeScript file watcher that automatically recompiles and executes your project when files change. Built for modern TypeScript development with zero-config presets and deep customization options.

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✨ Features

• 🔄 Config-driven architecture - Define watchers, bundles, and dev server in npmextra.json
• ⚡ Zero-config presets - Get started instantly with npm, element, service, website, and test presets
• 🧙 Interactive wizard - Run tswatch init to generate configuration interactively
• 🌐 Built-in dev server - Live reload, CORS, compression, SPA fallback out of the box
• 📦 Smart bundling - TypeScript, HTML, and assets with esbuild integration
• 🔁 Debounced execution - Configurable debounce prevents command spam
• 🛑 Process management - Automatic restart or queue mode for long-running commands
• 🎯 Glob patterns - Watch any files with flexible pattern matching

📦 Installation

# Global installation (recommended for CLI usage)
pnpm install -g @git.zone/tswatch

# As a dev dependency
pnpm install --save-dev @git.zone/tswatch

🚀 Quick Start

Using the Wizard

# Run the interactive wizard to create your configuration
tswatch init

The wizard will guide you through creating a npmextra.json configuration with your chosen preset or custom watchers.

Using Presets

If you already have a configuration, just run:

tswatch

This reads your config from npmextra.json under the @git.zone/tswatch key and starts watching.

⚙️ Configuration

tswatch uses npmextra.json for configuration. Add your config under the @git.zone/tswatch key:

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "npm"
  }
}

Available Presets

Preset	Description
npm	Watch ts/ and test/, run npm test on changes
test	Watch ts/ and test/, run npm run test2 on changes
service	Watch ts/, restart npm run startTs (ideal for backend services)
element	Dev server on port 3002 + bundling for web components
website	Full-stack: backend + frontend bundling + asset processing

Full Configuration Schema

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "element",

    "server": {
      "enabled": true,
      "port": 3002,
      "serveDir": "./dist_watch/",
      "liveReload": true
    },

    "bundles": [
      {
        "name": "main-bundle",
        "from": "./ts_web/index.ts",
        "to": "./dist_watch/bundle.js",
        "watchPatterns": ["./ts_web/**/*"],
        "triggerReload": true
      },
      {
        "name": "html",
        "from": "./html/index.html",
        "to": "./dist_watch/index.html",
        "watchPatterns": ["./html/**/*"],
        "triggerReload": true
      }
    ],

    "watchers": [
      {
        "name": "backend-build",
        "watch": "./ts/**/*",
        "command": "npm run build",
        "restart": false,
        "debounce": 300,
        "runOnStart": true
      },
      {
        "name": "tests",
        "watch": ["./ts/**/*", "./test/**/*"],
        "command": "npm test",
        "restart": true,
        "debounce": 300,
        "runOnStart": true
      }
    ]
  }
}

Configuration Options

ITswatchConfig

Option	Type	Description
preset	string	Use a preset: npm, test, service, element, website
watchers	IWatcherConfig[]	Array of watcher configurations
server	IServerConfig	Development server configuration
bundles	IBundleConfig[]	Bundle configurations

IWatcherConfig

Option	Type	Default	Description
name	string	required	Name for logging purposes
watch	string | string[]	required	Glob pattern(s) to watch
command	string	-	Shell command to execute on changes
restart	boolean	true	Kill previous process before restarting
debounce	number	300	Debounce delay in milliseconds
runOnStart	boolean	true	Run the command immediately on start

IServerConfig

Option	Type	Default	Description
enabled	boolean	required	Whether the server is enabled
port	number	3002	Server port
serveDir	string	./dist_watch/	Directory to serve
liveReload	boolean	true	Inject live reload script

IBundleConfig

Option	Type	Default	Description
name	string	-	Name for logging purposes
from	string	required	Entry point file
to	string	required	Output file
watchPatterns	string[]	-	Additional patterns to watch
triggerReload	boolean	true	Trigger server reload after bundling

🛠️ CLI Commands

tswatch

Runs with configuration from npmextra.json. If no config exists, launches the interactive wizard.

tswatch

tswatch init

Force-run the configuration wizard (creates or overwrites existing config).

tswatch init

💻 Programmatic API

Basic Usage with Config

import { TsWatch } from '@git.zone/tswatch';

// Create TsWatch with inline configuration
const watcher = new TsWatch({
  watchers: [
    {
      name: 'my-watcher',
      watch: './src/**/*',
      command: 'npm run build',
      restart: true,
      debounce: 300,
      runOnStart: true,
    },
  ],
});

await watcher.start();

// Later: stop watching
await watcher.stop();

Load from Config File

import { TsWatch } from '@git.zone/tswatch';

// Load configuration from npmextra.json
const watcher = TsWatch.fromConfig();

if (watcher) {
  await watcher.start();
}

Using ConfigHandler

import { ConfigHandler } from '@git.zone/tswatch';

const configHandler = new ConfigHandler();

// Check if config exists
if (configHandler.hasConfig()) {
  const config = configHandler.loadConfig();
  console.log(config);
}

// Get available presets
const presets = configHandler.getPresetNames();
console.log(presets); // ['npm', 'test', 'service', 'element', 'website']

// Get a specific preset
const npmPreset = configHandler.getPreset('npm');

Using Watcher Directly

For more granular control, use the Watcher class:

import { Watcher } from '@git.zone/tswatch';

// Create from config object
const watcher = Watcher.fromConfig({
  name: 'my-watcher',
  watch: ['./src/**/*', './lib/**/*'],
  command: 'npm run compile',
  restart: true,
});

await watcher.start();

Using Function Callbacks

import { Watcher } from '@git.zone/tswatch';

const watcher = new Watcher({
  name: 'custom-handler',
  filePathToWatch: './src/**/*',
  functionToCall: async () => {
    console.log('Files changed! Running custom logic...');
    // Your custom build/test/deploy logic here
  },
  debounce: 500,
  runOnStart: true,
});

await watcher.start();

📁 Project Structures

NPM Package / Node.js Library

project/
├── ts/           # TypeScript source files
├── test/         # Test files
├── package.json  # With "test" script
└── npmextra.json # tswatch config

Config:

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "npm"
  }
}

Backend Service

project/
├── ts/           # TypeScript source files
├── package.json  # With "startTs" script
└── npmextra.json

Config:

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "service"
  }
}

Web Component / Element

project/
├── ts/           # Backend TypeScript (optional)
├── ts_web/       # Frontend TypeScript
├── html/
│   ├── index.ts  # Web entry point
│   └── index.html
├── dist_watch/   # Output (auto-created)
└── npmextra.json

Config:

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "element"
  }
}

Access your project at http://localhost:3002

Full-Stack Website

project/
├── ts/           # Backend TypeScript
├── ts_web/       # Frontend TypeScript
│   └── index.ts
├── html/
│   └── index.html
├── assets/       # Static assets
├── dist_serve/   # Output
└── npmextra.json

Config:

{
  "@git.zone/tswatch": {
    "preset": "website"
  }
}

🌐 Development Server

The built-in development server (enabled in element and website presets) features:

• Live Reload - Automatically refreshes browser on changes
• CORS - Cross-origin requests enabled
• Compression - Gzip compression for faster loading
• SPA Fallback - Single-page application routing support
• Security Headers - Cross-origin isolation headers

Default configuration:

• Port: 3002
• Serve Directory: ./dist_watch/
• Live Reload: Enabled

🔧 Configuration Tips

1. Use presets for common workflows - They're battle-tested and cover most use cases
2. Customize with explicit config - Override preset defaults by adding explicit watchers, bundles, or server config
3. Debounce wisely - Default 300ms works well; increase for slower builds
4. Use restart: false for one-shot commands (like builds) and restart: true for long-running processes (like servers)

License and Legal Information

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

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 or third parties, 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 or the guidelines of the respective third-party owners, and any usage must be approved in writing. Third-party trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners and used only in a descriptive manner, e.g. for an implementation of an API or similar.

Company Information

Task Venture Capital GmbH Registered at District Court Bremen HRB 35230 HB, Germany

For any legal inquiries or further information, please contact us via email at hello@task.vc.

By using this repository, you acknowledge that you have read this section, agree to comply with its terms, and understand that the licensing of the code does not imply endorsement by Task Venture Capital GmbH of any derivative works.