Run function in script from command line (Node JS)

Question

I\'m writing a web app in Node. If I\'ve got some JS file db.js with a function init in it how could I call that function from the command line?

Answer 1

As per the other answers, add the following to someFile.js

module.exports.someFunction = function () {
  console.log('hi');
};

You can then add the following to package.json

"scripts": {
   "myScript": "node -e 'require(\"./someFile\").someFunction()'"
}

From the terminal, you can then call

npm run myScript

I find this a much easier way to remember the commands and use them

Answer 2

This one is dirty but works :)

I will be calling main() function from my script. Previously I just put calls to main at the end of script. However I did add some other functions and exported them from script (to use functions in some other parts of code) - but I dont want to execute main() function every time I import other functions in other scripts.

So I did this, in my script i removed call to main(), and instead at the end of script I put this check:

if (process.argv.includes('main')) {
   main();
}

So when I want to call that function in CLI: node src/myScript.js main

Answer 3

No comment on why you want to do this, or what might be a more standard practice: here is a solution to your question.... Keep in mind that the type of quotes required by your command line may vary.

In your db.js, export the init function. There are many ways, but for example:

module.exports.init = function () {
  console.log('hi');
};

Then call it like this, assuming your db.js is in the same directory as your command prompt:

node -e 'require("./db").init()'

To other readers, the OP's init function could have been called anything, it is not important, it is just the specific name used in the question.

Answer 4

Try make-runnable.

In db.js, add require('make-runnable'); to the end.

Now you can do:

node db.js init

Any further args would get passed to the init method.

Answer 5

If you turn db.js into a module you can require it from db_init.js and just: node db_init.js.

db.js:

module.exports = {
  method1: function () { ... },
  method2: function () { ... }
}

db_init.js:

var db = require('./db');

db.method1();
db.method2();

Answer 6

Sometimes you want to run a function via CLI, sometimes you want to require it from another module. Here's how to do both.

// file to run
const runMe = () => {}
if (require.main === module) {
  runMe()
} 
module.exports = runMe