watchexec

Watchexec is a powerful command-line tool used to watch files and execute a specific command whenever those files change. It is primarily designed for developers and system administrators working on projects that require constant monitoring and automatic execution upon file changes.

Here are ten key points about watchexec:

1. Watchexec allows you to specify a command or script to run whenever any of the watched files are modified. This can be extremely useful for automatically compiling code, running tests, or restarting servers.

2. It utilizes file system monitoring to efficiently detect changes in files and directories. This means it can promptly trigger the specified command as soon as any change occurs.

3. This tool supports a wide range of target platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. It can be easily installed through package managers such as Homebrew, APT, or Chocolatey.

4. Watchexec features intelligent and efficient file watching mechanisms, which minimize system resource utilization. It uses the most appropriate monitoring method available on the operating system to achieve optimal performance.

5. It provides multiple command-line options and flags to customize its behavior. You can specify monitoring intervals, configure the patterns of files to watch, and control how subprocesses are executed.

6. The tool offers advanced filtering capabilities to ignore or prioritize specific types of file changes. You can, for example, filter out temporary files, specific extensions, or directories from triggering the command.

7. Watchexec integrates well with other development tools and workflows. It can be easily integrated into build systems, task runners, or Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipelines.

8. It supports trigger debounce, which helps prevent executing the command multiple times in quick succession for rapid file modifications, ensuring stability and control.

9. Output from the executed command is displayed in the terminal in real-time, allowing developers to observe logs, error messages, or other output generated by the command.

10. Watchexec is an open-source project with an active community. This means the tool is well-maintained, regularly updated, and has ongoing support from the community, ensuring any issues or bugs are promptly addressed.