Run function in script from command line (Node JS)

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?

Solution 1:

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.

Solution 2:

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

Solution 3:

Update 2020 - CLI

As @mix3d pointed out you can just run a command where file.js is your file and someFunction is your function optionally followed by parameters separated with spaces

npx run-func file.js someFunction "just some parameter"

That's it.

file.js called in the example above

const someFunction = (param) => console.log('Welcome, your param is', param)

// exporting is crucial
module.exports = { someFunction }

More detailed description

Run directly from CLI (global)

Install

npm i -g run-func

Usage i.e. run function "init", it must be exported, see the bottom

run-func db.js init

Run from package.json script (local)

Install

npm i -S run-func

Setup

"scripts": {
   "init": "run-func db.js init"
}

Usage

npm run init

Params

Any following arguments will be passed as function parameters init(param1, param2)

run-func db.js init param1 param2

Important

the function (in this example init) must be exported in the file containing it

module.exports = { init };

or ES6 export

export { init };

Solution 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, in the form of a list or key-value pairs.

Solution 5:

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