The basics, done carefully
Small things decide whether a tool feels solid: what a bare command does, what happens in a pipe, and how the CI log reads. Here is how vx handles each. Run what you mean $ cd packages/web && vx run build # the project you stand in ┌─ @demo/web#build > $ mkdir -p dist && sleep 0.3 && cp src/index.ts dist/index.js └─ @demo/web#build ── ( 1ms ) up-to-date $ vx run build --all # every project that…
vx is a tool that runs tasks and builds caches for JavaScript monorepos. Its effectiveness depends on small details, such as the specific actions of a bare command, the behavior of a pipe, and the readability of CI logs. To execute a task, you can simply type $ vx run build inside the intended project directory. This command opens a picker on a terminal, but lists the tasks and exits when used in a pipe.
A plain log is generated for off-terminal use, with each task displayed on a separate line. When integrated with GitHub Actions, each task is encapsulated in a log group, showing success or failure status along with its duration. In the event of a failure, the error is annotated rather than just displayed as a plain line. The actual output of a task is isolated, preventing it from being misinterpreted as workflow commands.
Colors are utilized for truecolor display in terminals, while plain output is employed elsewhere. The absence of a build step in a package does not hinder its importance to dependent packages. If no build exists, a placeholder group is generated, running nothing. Modifications to such a package trigger updates in its dependents, facilitated by the --affected flag.
All flags are detailed in the CLI reference, originally published on the vx blog. Developed with the assistance of AI, vx is released under the MIT license.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
