Run That

run-z is a command line utility able to run multiple npm-scripts at once.

• Each NPM script considered a task to execute.
• Each task may have prerequisites. I.e. other tasks to execute before it.
• Each task executes at most once, even though it is a prerequisite of many tasks.
• Additional parameters can be passed to any task.
• Tasks can be executed in parallel or sequentially.
• Tasks may belong to different packages. This is especially helpful with Yarn Workspaces or Lerna.
• Tasks can be batched - the same-named tasks can be executed in each of the selected packages.
• The dependencies between packages respected when batching - the tasks executed in dependencies-first order.
• Only one instance of run-z process started despite the number of tasks to execute.

See also:

• API Documentation
• Project Wiki
• Сборка сложных Node.js проектов утилитой run-z (Russian)

Setup And Usage

1. Add run-z as development dependency of your package:

   • Using npm:

     npm install run-z --save-dev

   • Using pnpm:

     pnpm add run-z -D

   • Using Yarn:

     yarn add run-z --dev

2. Add script(s) to package.json executing run-z:

   {
     "scripts": {
       "all": "run-z build lint,test",
       "build": "run-z --then tsc -p .",
       "clean": "run-z --then shx rm -rf ./dist",
       "lint": "run-z --then eslint .",
       "test": "run-z --then jest",
       "z": "run-z"
     }
   }

3. Execute tasks:

   • Using npm:

     # Run single task
     npm run all
     
     # Run multiple tasks
     npm run clean -- build
     
     # Use a no-op `z` task for convenience
     npm run z -- clean build

   • Using pnpm:

     # Run single task
     pnpm all
     
     # Run multiple tasks
     pnpm clean build

   • Using Yarn:

     # Run single task
     yarn all
     
     # Run multiple tasks
     yarn clean build

Or just use npx for your existing project. No need to install run-z or modify package.json:

npx run-z clean build

Tasks

Each record in scripts section of package.json is a script executable by a package manager (NPM or Yarn). If executed script is a run-z command, the latter treats every script as task. Such a task can be used as a prerequisite of another one. run-z executes prerequisites prior to the task itself.

To specify a task prerequisite just add its name to run-z command line:

run-z prerequisite1 prerequisite2 --then node ./my-script.js --arg

This task would execute prerequsite1, then prerequisite2, and finally the node ./my-script.js --arg command.

The following types of tasks supported:

• Command.

  --then option treats the rest of the command line as command to execute after prerequisites.

• NPM script.

  A package.json script not containing a run-z command. It still can be used as prerequisite of another task.

• Group.

  A run-z command containing zero or more prerequisites and not containing a command to execute.

• Unknown.

  A task prerequisite not matching any of the package.json scripts. Attempting to execute such a task would cause an error. However, it is possible to skip such task execution without causing an error.

Task Parameters

To pass additional command line arguments to the task a special syntax can be used:

run-z test/--ci/--runInBand     # Pass `--ci` and `--runInBand` command line argument
                                # to command or NPM script executed by `test` task.
run-z test //--ci --runInBand// # Pass multiple command line options at once.

Single arguments can be passed by prefixing them with / sign. Any number of spaces may precede the / sign, but should not follow it.

Multiple arguments can be passed by enclosing them with two or more / signs. The number of opening and closing signs should be the same. Any number of spaces may precede or follow opening and closing signs.

Task Attributes

Task attributes are name/value pairs accepted by tasks. They can be passed to the tasks similarly to command line arguments:

run-z test/attribute=value       # Pass `attribute` with `value` to `test` prerequisite.
run-z build test attribute=value # Pass `attribute` with `value` to the task itself and all of its prerequisites.
run-z test/=if-present           # The shorthand for `if-present=on`.

Some attributes are flags. I.e. their values treated as booleans with 0, false, and off (case-insensitive) meaning false, and everything else meaning true. A shorthand syntax (=flag) can be used to set it to on meaning true.

If attribute value set multiple times, the last value takes precedence. If set both by a task and its prerequisite, the value set prerequisite has lower precedence. The attribute value passed from command line always has the highest precedence.

The following attributes supported:

• env:NAME - Sets environment variable NAME.

  Multiple values for the same environment variable are joined:
  env:NODE_OPTIONS=--experimental-vm-modules env:NODE_OPTIONS=--no-warnings sets NODE_OPTIONS='--experimental-vm-modules --no-warnings'

  To override the value a := sign can be used instead of =:
  env:NODE_OPTIONS=--no-warnings env:NODE_OPTIONS:=--no-deprecation sets NODE_OPTIONS='--no-deprecation'

• if-present - A flag indicating that the task should be executed only if corresponding script defined.

  This can be useful for batched tasks.

• skip - When this flag set the task won't be executed.

Other attributes aren't currently used, but still can be set.

See also:

• Task annexes

Parallel And Sequential Execution

Tasks executed sequentially unless parallel execution allowed for them. To allow two or more tasks to be executed in parallel to each other, separate their names with commas:

run-z clean build lint,test  # Arbitrary number of spaces allowed around comma.

This would execute lint and test tasks in parallel to each other, but only when build one completed. While the build task would be executed only when clean one completed.

It is also possible to execute a command in parallel to its prerequisite. For that an --and option could be used instead of --then:

run-z copy-assets --and tsc -p .  # Copies assets and compiles TypeScript simultaneously.

By default, the maximum number of tasks that can be executed simultaneously is limited to the number of CPUs. The --max-jobs (-j) option can be used to change the limit:

run-z build,lint,test -j2          # Only two jobs can run simultaneously. The third one would pend.
run-z build,lint,test -max-jobs 1  # Effectively disables parallel execution.
run-z build,lint,test -j0          # Remove the limit completely.

Running Across Multiple Packages

It is possible to execute tasks from other packages:

run-z ../package1 build test . build test

this executes build and test tasks in the package located in ../package1 directory, then runs build and test tasks in current one.

run-z command line options ., .., and the ones started with ./ or ../ are relative URLs to package directories. The following tasks searched for and executed in target packages.

Batch Processing

The package selector may select multiple packages. The task following it would be executed in each of the selected packages in a batch:

run-z ./packages//  build # Executes `build` in each package
                          # inside `./packages` directory.
run-z ./packages/// build # Executes `build` in `./packages` directory
                          # and in each package deeply nested within it.

The // syntax selects all directly nested directories. The /// syntax selects the directory and all directories deeply nested within it. The hidden directories and directories without package.json file ignored.

It is also possible to specify multiple package selectors. All selected packages would be united:

run-z ./3rd-party// ./packages// build # Executes `build` in each package
                                       # inside `./3rd-party` and `./packages` directories.

The tasks within a batch executed in a dependency-first order. I.e. if one of the target packages depends on another, the task would be executed in dependency first, and in dependent package after that.

The tasks in independent packages executed in parallel to each other.

It is also possible to forcibly execute all batched tasks in parallel to each other with --batch-parallel (--bap) option:

run-z --batch-parallel ./packages// lint # Executes `lint` in each package
                                         # inside `./packages` directory
                                         # in parallel to each other.

See also:

• Reusing package selectors

Sub-Tasks

The group tasks accept parameters. The first parameter considered a name of the task in the same package to execute. The rest are parameters to this task. This can be used to batch tasks without specifying the package directories every time.

So, with the following package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "each": "run-z ./3rd-party// ./packages//"
  }
}

it is possible to batch tasks across packages in ./3rd-party and ./packages directories:

• Using npm:

  npm run each -- /build each /test  # Batch `build`, then `test` across all packages.

• Using pnpm:

  pnpm each /build each /test        # Batch `build`, then `test` across all packages.

• Using Yarn:

  yarn each /build each /test        # Batch `build`, then `test` across all packages.

Named Batches

When working with Yarn Workspaces or Lerna it is often necessary to run the task across multiple packages. It is quite doable via specifying package selectors. Still, there is a better solution utilizing named batches.

Let's say we have a root package (worktree root) and several packages within a packages/ directory.

Let's place the following scripts to the root package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "all/*": "run-z ./packages//",
    "z": "run-z"
  }
}

The all/* script is a named batch specifier. The z task is a handy NPM script, that just runs run-z.

With these present it becomes possible to batch tasks by executing run-z in either root package directory, or in any of the nested packages:

• Using npm:

  npm run z -- build --all  # Batch `build` task across all packages.

• Using pnpm:

  pnpm z build --all     # Batch `build` task across all packages.

• Using Yarn:

  yarn z build --all        # Batch `build` task across all packages.

With --all option specified the run-z searches for topmost package containing named batch(-es) specifier, and batches the task across selected packages.

The z task used for convenience here. It is expected to present in all packages. Any task can be executed instead. For example, when running inside one of the nested packages, the following command can do the same as above:

• Using npm:

  npm run build -- --all

• Using pnpm:

  pnpm build --all

• Using Yarn:

  yarn build --all

The named batch can have a syntax like all/test. When present, such named batch will be used instead of the all/* one when batching a test task. This can be useful, e.g. when it is necessary to pass additional parameters to specific tasks:

{
  "scripts": {
    "all/*": "run-z ./packages//",
    "all/test": "run-z ./packages// +test/--runInBand",
    "z": "run-z"
  }
}

• Using npm:

  
  npm run z -- build --all  # Batch `build` in generic way.
  npm run z -- test --all   # Batch `test` with `--runInBand` option.

• Using pnpm:

  pnpm z build --all     # Batch `build` in generic way.
  pnpm z test --all      # Batch `test` with `--runInBand` option.

• Using Yarn:

  yarn z build --all        # Batch `build` in generic way.
  yarn z test --all         # Batch `test` with `--runInBand` option.

See also:

• Partial builds

Dependency Graph

With named batches it is possible to batch tasks across part of package dependency graph.

• Using npm:

  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies and the package itself.
  npm run build -- --with-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  npm run build -- --only-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task for the package and all the packages depending on it.
  npm run build -- --with-dependants
  
  # Batch the `build` task across packages depending on current one.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  npm run build -- --only-dependants

• Using pnpm:

  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies and the package itself.
  pnpm build --with-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  pnpm build --only-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task for the package and all the packages depending on it.
  pnpm build --with-dependants
  
  # Batch the `build` task across packages depending on current one.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  pnpm build --only-dependants

• Using Yarn:

  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies and the package itself.
  yarn build --with-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task across package dependencies.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  yarn build --only-deps
  
  # Batch the `build` task for the package and all the packages depending on it.
  yarn build --with-dependants
  
  # Batch the `build` task across packages depending on current one.
  # Do not run for the package itself.
  yarn build --only-dependants