gulp-live-server
===
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[1]: http://img.shields.io/travis/gimm/gulp-live-server/master.svg?style=flat-square
[2]: https://travis-ci.org/gimm/gulp-live-server
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[4]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp-live-server
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[6]: https://github.com/gimm/gulp-live-server/releases
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[8]: http://www.wtfpl.net
A handy, light-weight server you're going to love.
- [Install](#install)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [API](#api)
- [static](#staticfolder-port)
- [new](#newscript)
- [gls](#glsargs-options-livereload)
- [start](#start)
- [stop](#stop)
- [notify](#notifyevent)
- [livereload.js](#livereloadjs)
- [Debug](#debug)
Install
---
[![NPM](https://nodei.co/npm/gulp-live-server.png?compact=true)](https://nodei.co/npm/gulp-live-server/)
Usage
---
- Serve a static folder(`gls.script`<'scripts/static.js'> is used as server script)
```js
var gulp = require('gulp');
var gls = require('gulp-live-server');
gulp.task('serve', function() {
//1. serve with default settings
var server = gls.static(); //equals to gls.static('public', 3000);
server.start();
//2. serve at custom port
var server = gls.static('dist', 8888);
server.start();
//3. serve multi folders
var server = gls.static(['dist', '.tmp']);
server.start();
//use gulp.watch to trigger server actions(notify, start or stop)
gulp.watch(['static/**/*.css', 'static/**/*.html'], function (file) {
server.notify.apply(server, [file]);
});
});
```
- Serve with your own script file
```js
gulp.task('serve', function() {
//1. run your script as a server
var server = gls.new('myapp.js');
server.start();
//2. run script with cwd args, e.g. the harmony flag
var server = gls.new(['--harmony', 'myapp.js']);
//this will achieve `node --harmony myapp.js`
//you can access cwd args in `myapp.js` via `process.argv`
server.start();
//use gulp.watch to trigger server actions(notify, start or stop)
gulp.watch(['static/**/*.css', 'static/**/*.html'], function (file) {
server.notify.apply(server, [file]);
});
gulp.watch('myapp.js', server.start.bind(server)); //restart my server
// Note: try wrapping in a function if getting an error like `TypeError: Bad argument at TypeError (native) at ChildProcess.spawn`
gulp.watch('myapp.js', function() {
server.start.bind(server)()
});
});
```
- Customized serving with gls
```js
gulp.task('serve', function() {
//1. gls is the base for `static` and `new`
var server = gls([gls.script, 'static', 8000]);
//equals gls.new([gls.script, 'static', 8000]);
//equals gls.static('static', 8000);
server.start();
//2. set running options for the server, e.g. NODE_ENV
var server = gls('myapp.js', {env: {NODE_ENV: 'development'}});
server.start();
//3. customize livereload server, e.g. port number
var server = gls('myapp.js', undefined, 12345);
var promise = server.start();
//optionally handle the server process exiting
promise.then(function(result) {
//log, exit, re-start, etc...
});
//4. start with coffee-script executable e.g. installed with npm
var server = gls('myapp.coffee');
server.start('node_modules/coffee-script/bin/coffee');
//use gulp.watch to trigger server actions(notify, start or stop)
gulp.watch(['static/**/*.css', 'static/**/*.html'], function (file) {
server.notify.apply(server, [file]);
});
gulp.watch('myapp.js', server.start.bind(server)); //restart my server
// Note: try wrapping in a function if getting an error like `TypeError: Bad argument at TypeError (native) at ChildProcess.spawn`
gulp.watch('myapp.js', function() {
server.start.bind(server)()
});
});
```
API
---
### static([folder][, port])
- `folder` - `String|Array` The folder(s) to serve.
Use array of strings if there're multi folders to serve.
If omitted, defaults to `public/`.
- `port` - `Number` The port to listen on. Defaults to `3000`.
- return [gls](#glsargs-options-livereload).
Config new server using the [default server script](https://github.com/gimm/gulp-live-server/blob/master/scripts/static.js), to serve the given `folder` on the specified `port`.
### new(script)
- `script` - `String` The script file to run.
- return [gls](#glsargs-options-livereload).
Config new server using the given `script`.
### gls(args[, options][, livereload])
- `args` - `String|Array` The 2nd param for [ChildProcess.spawn](http://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_spawn_command_args_options).
- `options` - `Object` The 3rd param for [ChildProcess.spawn](http://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_spawn_command_args_options),
will be mixin into the default value:
```js
options = {
cwd: undefined
}
options.env = process.env;
options.env.NODE_ENV = 'development';
```
- `livereload` - `Boolean|Number|Object` The option for tiny-lr server. The default value is `35729`.
- `false` - will disable tiny-lr livereload server.
- `number` - treated as port number of livereload server.
- `object` - used to create tiny-lr server new tinylr.Server(livereload);
**`gls` here is a reference of `var gls = require('gulp-live-server')`**. It aims to assemble configuration for the server child process as well as the tiny-lr server.
**`static` and `new` are just shortcuts for this.**
Usually, `static` and `new` will serve you well, but you can get more customized server with `gls`.
### start([execPath])
- `execPath` - `String` The executable that is used to start the server. If none is given the current node executable is used.
- return [promise](https://github.com/kriskowal/q/wiki/API-Reference) from [Q](https://www.npmjs.com/package/q), resolved with the server process exits.
Spawn a new child process based on the configuration.
- use [`ChildProcess.spawn`](http://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_spawn_command_args_options) to start a node process;
- use [`tiny-lr`](https://github.com/mklabs/tiny-lr) provide livereload ability;
### stop()
- return [promise](https://github.com/kriskowal/q/wiki/API-Reference) from [Q](https://www.npmjs.com/package/q)
Stop the server.
### notify([event])
- `event` - `Event` Event object passed along with [gulp.watch](https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/docs/API.md#cbevent).
Optional when used with `pipe`.
Tell livereload.js to reload the changed resource(s)
livereload.js
---
gulp-live-server comes with [tiny-lr](https://github.com/mklabs/tiny-lr/) built in, which works as a livereload server. `livereload.js` is **served** by `tiny-lr`, but in order to get it loaded with your page, you have 3 options( to **inject** `<script src="//localhost:35729/livereload.js"></script>` into your page):
- [LiveReload](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/livereload/jnihajbhpnppcggbcgedagnkighmdlei?hl=en) for Chrome;
- Use [connect-livereload](https://github.com/intesso/connect-livereload) middleware;
- Add [livereload.js](https://github.com/livereload/livereload-js) in your page manually;
Usually, if `http://localhost:35729/livereload.js` is accessible, then your livereload server is ok, if you don't have the script tag for livereload.js in you page, you've problem with either your chrome plugin or the connect-livereload middle-ware as mentioned above.
DEBUG
---
If you want more output, set the `DEBUG` environment variables to `*` or `gulp-live-server`.