[![Coverage Status](https://codecov.io/gh/sindresorhus/execa/branch/main/graph/badge.svg)](https://codecov.io/gh/sindresorhus/execa) > Process execution for humans
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^{Sindre's open source work is supported by the community}

^{Special thanks to:}

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Execa runs commands in your script, application or library. Unlike shells, it is [optimized](docs/bash.md) for programmatic usage. Built on top of the [`child_process`](https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html) core module. --- One of the maintainers [@ehmicky](https://github.com/ehmicky) is looking for a remote full-time position. Specialized in Node.js back-ends and CLIs, he led Netlify [Build](https://www.netlify.com/platform/core/build/), [Plugins](https://www.netlify.com/integrations/) and Configuration for 2.5 years. Feel free to contact him on [his website](https://www.mickael-hebert.com) or on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickaelhebert/)! --- ## Features - [Simple syntax](#simple-syntax): promises and [template strings](docs/execution.md#template-string-syntax), like [`zx`](docs/bash.md). - [Script](#script) interface. - [No escaping](docs/escaping.md) nor quoting needed. No risk of shell injection. - Execute [locally installed binaries](#local-binaries) without `npx`. - Improved [Windows support](docs/windows.md): [shebangs](docs/windows.md#shebang), [`PATHEXT`](https://ss64.com/nt/path.html#pathext), [graceful termination](#graceful-termination), [and more](https://github.com/moxystudio/node-cross-spawn?tab=readme-ov-file#why). - [Detailed errors](#detailed-error), [verbose mode](#verbose-mode) and [custom logging](#custom-logging), for [debugging](docs/debugging.md). - [Pipe multiple subprocesses](#pipe-multiple-subprocesses) better than in shells: retrieve [intermediate results](docs/pipe.md#result), use multiple [sources](docs/pipe.md#multiple-sources-1-destination)/[destinations](docs/pipe.md#1-source-multiple-destinations), [unpipe](docs/pipe.md#unpipe). - [Split](#split-into-text-lines) the output into text lines, or [iterate](#iterate-over-text-lines) progressively over them. - Strip [unnecessary newlines](docs/lines.md#newlines). - Pass any [input](docs/input.md) to the subprocess: [files](#file-input), [strings](#simple-input), [`Uint8Array`s](docs/binary.md#binary-input), [iterables](docs/streams.md#iterables-as-input), [objects](docs/transform.md#object-mode) and almost any [other type](#any-input-type). - Return [almost any type](#any-output-type) from the subprocess, or redirect it to [files](#file-output). - Get [interleaved output](#interleaved-output) from `stdout` and `stderr` similar to what is printed on the terminal. - Retrieve the output [programmatically and print it](#programmatic--terminal-output) on the console at the same time. - [Transform or filter](#transformfilter-output) the input and output with [simple functions](docs/transform.md). - Pass [Node.js streams](docs/streams.md#nodejs-streams) or [web streams](#web-streams) to subprocesses, or [convert](#convert-to-duplex-stream) subprocesses to [a stream](docs/streams.md#converting-a-subprocess-to-a-stream). - [Exchange messages](#exchange-messages) with the subprocess. - Ensure subprocesses exit even when they [intercept termination signals](docs/termination.md#forceful-termination), or when the current process [ends abruptly](docs/termination.md#current-process-exit). ## Install ```sh npm install execa ``` ## Documentation Execution: - ▶️ [Basic execution](docs/execution.md) - 💬 [Escaping/quoting](docs/escaping.md) - 💻 [Shell](docs/shell.md) - 📜 [Scripts](docs/scripts.md) - 🐢 [Node.js files](docs/node.md) - 🌐 [Environment](docs/environment.md) - ❌ [Errors](docs/errors.md) - 🏁 [Termination](docs/termination.md) Input/output: - 🎹 [Input](docs/input.md) - 📢 [Output](docs/output.md) - 📃 [Text lines](docs/lines.md) - 🤖 [Binary data](docs/binary.md) - 🧙 [Transforms](docs/transform.md) Advanced usage: - 🔀 [Piping multiple subprocesses](docs/pipe.md) - ⏳️ [Streams](docs/streams.md) - 📞 [Inter-process communication](docs/ipc.md) - 🐛 [Debugging](docs/debugging.md) - 📎 [Windows](docs/windows.md) - 🔍 [Difference with Bash and zx](docs/bash.md) - 🐭 [Small packages](docs/small.md) - 🤓 [TypeScript](docs/typescript.md) - 📔 [API reference](docs/api.md) ## Examples ### Execution #### Simple syntax ```js import {execa} from 'execa'; const {stdout} = await execa`npm run build`; // Print command's output console.log(stdout); ``` #### Script ```js import {$} from 'execa'; const {stdout: name} = await $`cat package.json`.pipe`grep name`; console.log(name); const branch = await $`git branch --show-current`; await $`dep deploy --branch=${branch}`; await Promise.all([ $`sleep 1`, $`sleep 2`, $`sleep 3`, ]); const directoryName = 'foo bar'; await $`mkdir /tmp/${directoryName}`; ``` #### Local binaries ```sh $ npm install -D eslint ``` ```js await execa({preferLocal: true})`eslint`; ``` #### Pipe multiple subprocesses ```js const {stdout, pipedFrom} = await execa`npm run build` .pipe`sort` .pipe`head -n 2`; // Output of `npm run build | sort | head -n 2` console.log(stdout); // Output of `npm run build | sort` console.log(pipedFrom[0].stdout); // Output of `npm run build` console.log(pipedFrom[0].pipedFrom[0].stdout); ``` ### Input/output #### Interleaved output ```js const {all} = await execa({all: true})`npm run build`; // stdout + stderr, interleaved console.log(all); ``` #### Programmatic + terminal output ```js const {stdout} = await execa({stdout: ['pipe', 'inherit']})`npm run build`; // stdout is also printed to the terminal console.log(stdout); ``` #### Simple input ```js const getInputString = () => { /* ... */ }; const {stdout} = await execa({input: getInputString()})`sort`; console.log(stdout); ``` #### File input ```js // Similar to: npm run build < input.txt await execa({stdin: {file: 'input.txt'}})`npm run build`; ``` #### File output ```js // Similar to: npm run build > output.txt await execa({stdout: {file: 'output.txt'}})`npm run build`; ``` #### Split into text lines ```js const {stdout} = await execa({lines: true})`npm run build`; // Print first 10 lines console.log(stdout.slice(0, 10).join('\n')); ``` ### Streaming #### Iterate over text lines ```js for await (const line of execa`npm run build`) { if (line.includes('WARN')) { console.warn(line); } } ``` #### Transform/filter output ```js let count = 0; // Filter out secret lines, then prepend the line number const transform = function * (line) { if (!line.includes('secret')) { yield `[${count++}] ${line}`; } }; await execa({stdout: transform})`npm run build`; ``` #### Web streams ```js const response = await fetch('https://example.com'); await execa({stdin: response.body})`sort`; ``` #### Convert to Duplex stream ```js import {execa} from 'execa'; import {pipeline} from 'node:stream/promises'; import {createReadStream, createWriteStream} from 'node:fs'; await pipeline( createReadStream('./input.txt'), execa`node ./transform.js`.duplex(), createWriteStream('./output.txt'), ); ``` ### IPC #### Exchange messages ```js // parent.js import {execaNode} from 'execa'; const subprocess = execaNode`child.js`; await subprocess.sendMessage('Hello from parent'); const message = await subprocess.getOneMessage(); console.log(message); // 'Hello from child' ``` ```js // child.js import {getOneMessage, sendMessage} from 'execa'; const message = await getOneMessage(); // 'Hello from parent' const newMessage = message.replace('parent', 'child'); // 'Hello from child' await sendMessage(newMessage); ``` #### Any input type ```js // main.js import {execaNode} from 'execa'; const ipcInput = [ {task: 'lint', ignore: /test\.js/}, {task: 'copy', files: new Set(['main.js', 'index.js']), }]; await execaNode({ipcInput})`build.js`; ``` ```js // build.js import {getOneMessage} from 'execa'; const ipcInput = await getOneMessage(); ``` #### Any output type ```js // main.js import {execaNode} from 'execa'; const {ipcOutput} = await execaNode`build.js`; console.log(ipcOutput[0]); // {kind: 'start', timestamp: date} console.log(ipcOutput[1]); // {kind: 'stop', timestamp: date} ``` ```js // build.js import {sendMessage} from 'execa'; const runBuild = () => { /* ... */ }; await sendMessage({kind: 'start', timestamp: new Date()}); await runBuild(); await sendMessage({kind: 'stop', timestamp: new Date()}); ``` #### Graceful termination ```js // main.js import {execaNode} from 'execa'; const controller = new AbortController(); setTimeout(() => { controller.abort(); }, 5000); await execaNode({ cancelSignal: controller.signal, gracefulCancel: true, })`build.js`; ``` ```js // build.js import {getCancelSignal} from 'execa'; const cancelSignal = await getCancelSignal(); const url = 'https://example.com/build/info'; const response = await fetch(url, {signal: cancelSignal}); ``` ### Debugging #### Detailed error ```js import {execa, ExecaError} from 'execa'; try { await execa`unknown command`; } catch (error) { if (error instanceof ExecaError) { console.log(error); } /* ExecaError: Command failed with ENOENT: unknown command spawn unknown ENOENT at ... at ... { shortMessage: 'Command failed with ENOENT: unknown command\nspawn unknown ENOENT', originalMessage: 'spawn unknown ENOENT', command: 'unknown command', escapedCommand: 'unknown command', cwd: '/path/to/cwd', durationMs: 28.217566, failed: true, timedOut: false, isCanceled: false, isTerminated: false, isMaxBuffer: false, code: 'ENOENT', stdout: '', stderr: '', stdio: [undefined, '', ''], pipedFrom: [] [cause]: Error: spawn unknown ENOENT at ... at ... { errno: -2, code: 'ENOENT', syscall: 'spawn unknown', path: 'unknown', spawnargs: [ 'command' ] } } */ } ``` #### Verbose mode ```js await execa`npm run build`; await execa`npm run test`; ``` execa verbose output

#### Custom logging ```js import {execa as execa_} from 'execa'; import {createLogger, transports} from 'winston'; // Log to a file using Winston const transport = new transports.File({filename: 'logs.txt'}); const logger = createLogger({transports: [transport]}); const LOG_LEVELS = { command: 'info', output: 'verbose', ipc: 'verbose', error: 'error', duration: 'info', }; const execa = execa_({ verbose(verboseLine, {message, ...verboseObject}) { const level = LOG_LEVELS[verboseObject.type]; logger[level](message, verboseObject); }, }); await execa`npm run build`; await execa`npm run test`; ``` ## Related - [nano-spawn](https://github.com/sindresorhus/nano-spawn) - Like Execa but [smaller](docs/small.md) - [gulp-execa](https://github.com/ehmicky/gulp-execa) - Gulp plugin for Execa - [nvexeca](https://github.com/ehmicky/nvexeca) - Run Execa using any Node.js version ## Maintainers - [Sindre Sorhus](https://github.com/sindresorhus) - [@ehmicky](https://github.com/ehmicky)

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