@robojs/cron
v0.1.1
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Easily schedule and manage recurring tasks.
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@robojs/cron
Effortlessly schedule tasks with cron expressions. This robust plugin allows you to run functions at specified times, manage job persistence, and control tasks dynamically.
Installation
To add this plugin to your Robo.js project:
npx robo add @robojs/cron
New to Robo.js? Start your project with this plugin pre-installed:
npx create-robo <project-name> -p @robojs/cron
Usage
Use the Cron
export to run a function on a schedule.
Cron('*/10 * * * * *', () => {
console.log('This job runs every 10 seconds!')
})
You can schedule jobs to run when your Robo starts using the /src/events/_start.js
file.
import { Cron } from '@robojs/cron'
export default () => {
Cron('*/10 * * * * *', () => {
console.log('This job runs every 10 seconds!')
})
}
Cron
returns a job object that can be controlled dynamically.
const job = Cron('*/10 * * * * *', () => {
console.log('This job runs every 10 seconds!')
})
// Pause a job
job.pause()
// Resume a job
job.resume()
// Stop a job
job.stop()
// Get the next run time
const nextRun = job.nextRun()
console.log('Next run in', nextRun)
Job File
You can also point to a file to run as a job.
import { Cron } from '@robojs/cron'
// File: /src/events/_start.js
export default () => {
// Runs `/src/cron/job.js` every 5 seconds
const job = Cron('*/5 * * * * *', '/cron/job.js')
}
Your job file should export a default function.
// File: /src/cron/job.js
export default () => {
console.log('@robojs/cron is awesome!')
}
Persistence
Jobs can be persisted to ensure they continue after a restart and can be retrieved later.
import { Cron } from '@robojs/cron'
// File: /src/commands/start-job.js
export default () => {
// Runs `/src/cron/job.js` every 5 seconds
const job = Cron('*/5 * * * * *', '/cron/job.js')
// Only file-based jobs can be persisted
const jobId = await job.save()
// Retrieve a saved job using its ID
const savedJob = await Cron.get('my-job')
// Use the job ID to remove the job later
await Cron.remove(jobId)
}
This is useful for creating long-running tasks as a result of a command or event. You may pass an ID to the save
method to prevent duplication and make it easier to retrieve the job later.
const jobId = await job.save('my-job')
const savedJob = await Cron.get('my-job')
API Overview
Create and initialize a cron job by calling Cron(cronExpression, jobFunction)
. The cronExpression
parameter should be a string that defines when the job will run, such as '*/5 * * * * *'
for every 5 seconds.
const job = Cron('*/5 * * * * *', () => {
console.log('This job runs every 5 seconds!')
})
The jobFunction
parameter can be either a path to a JavaScript file that exports a function or a direct function definition.
Job Control
- pause(): Temporarily halts the cron job.
- resume(): Resumes a paused cron job.
- stop(): Permanently stops the cron job from running.
Job Management
- save(): Persists the job so that it continues to run even after a system restart and can be retrieved later. This method returns a Promise that resolves to the unique identifier for the job.
- get(id): Retrieves a previously saved job using its ID. Returns a Promise that resolves to the job instance if found.
- nextRun(): Returns the next scheduled run time of the job as a
Date
object, ornull
if there is no scheduled run.
Removing a Job
Remove a persisted job from the system by using Cron.remove(id)
, where id
is the unique identifier returned by the save()
method. This function ensures that the job is no longer scheduled to run and is removed from storage.
Cron Expressions
Cron expressions are used to define the schedule of a job. They consist of six fields separated by spaces:
- Seconds: 0-59
- Minutes: 0-59
- Hours: 0-23
- Day of Month: 1-31
- Month: 1-12
- Day of Week: 0-6 (Sunday to Saturday)
Each field can be a single value, a range, a list of values, or an increment. For example:
*
(asterisk): All values*/5
: Every 5 units1,2,3
: Specific values1-5
: Range of values1-5/2
: Range with increment
Examples
* * * * * *
: Every second*/5 * * * * *
: Every 5 seconds0 0 * * * *
: Every hour0 0 0 * * *
: Every day at midnight0 0 0 1 * *
: First day of every month at midnight0 0 0 * * 0
: Every Sunday at midnight
Learn more about cron expressions from the Cron Expression Generator.