diff --git a/extending-cli.md b/extending-cli.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..fc08f3f65b --- /dev/null +++ b/extending-cli.md @@ -0,0 +1,80 @@ +Extending the CLI +================= + +NativeScript CLI allows you to extend its behavior and customize it for your project. +When the CLI executes a particular command (for example `tns build`) it checks whether you have added such extending hooks and executes them. +Additionally, plugins can use these hooks to control the compilation of the program. + +What are the hooks +================== + +The hooks are any executable code, Node.js script or a directory placed under the `hooks` subdirectory of your project. +The hook name must follow a strict scheme. The name describes: + + - the action being hooked + - whether the user code must be called before or after the action + +For example, to execute your code before the `prepare` command starts, create a file named `before-prepare` and place it in the `hooks` directory. +To execute your code after a command completes, create `after-prepare`. +All file extensions (if present) are accepted but JavaScript files are treated specially, which is explained bellow. + +The project structure looks like this: + +``` +my-app/ +├── index.js +├── package.json +└── hooks/ + ├── before-prepare.js (this is a Node.js script) + └── after-prepare (this is an executable file) +``` + +To support multiple scripts extending the same action, you can use a different approach. Create a sud-directory in the `hooks` directory using the naming convention described above. +Place all extending code into it. The CLI will execute them one after another but the order is not guaranteed. + +``` +my-app/ +├── index.js +├── package.json +└── hooks/ + └── before-prepare (a directory) + ├── hook1 (this is an executable file) + └── hook2 (this is an executable file) +``` + +Execute hooks as child process +======================== + +If your hook is an executable file which is not a Node.js code, NativeScript executes it using the normal OS API for creating a child process. This gives you the flexibility to write it in any way you want. +The hook receives three variables in its OS environment: + + - NATIVESCRIPT-COMMANDLINE - the full command line which triggered the hook execution, for example: `/usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/lib/node_modules/nativescript/bin/nativescript-cli.js build android` + - NATIVESCRIPT-HOOK_FULL_PATH - the full path to the hook file name, for example `/home/user/app/hooks/after-prepare/myhook` + - NATIVESCRIPT-VERSION - the version of the NativeScript CLI which invokes the hook, for example `1.5.2` + +Execute hooks in-process +======================== + +When your hook is a Node.js script, the CLI executes it in-process. This gives you access to the entire internal state of the CLI and all of its functions. +The CLI assumes that this is a CommonJS module and calls its single exported function with four parameters. +The type of the parameters are described in the .d.ts files which are part of the CLI source code [here](https://github.com/NativeScript/nativescript-cli/tree/master/lib/definitions) and [here](https://github.com/telerik/mobile-cli-lib/tree/master/definitions) + + - $logger: ILogger. Use the members of this class to show messages to the user cooperating with the CLI internal state. + - $projectData: IProjectData. Contains data about the project, like project directory, id, dependencies, etc. + - $usbLiveSyncService:ILiveSyncService. Use this service to invoke LiveSync for device or emulator. + - hookArgs: any. Contains all the parameters of the original function in the CLI which is being hooked. + +The hook must return a Promise. If the hook succeeds, it must fullfil the promise, but the fullfilment value is ignored. +The hook can also rejects the promise with an instance of Error. The returned error can have two optional members controlling the CLI: + + - stopExecution: boolean - set this to false to let the CLI continue executing this command + - errorAsWarning: boolean: set this to treat the returned error as warning. The CLI prints the error.message colored as a warning and continues executing the current command + +If these two members are not set, the CLI prints the returned error colored as fatal error and stops executing the current command. + +Furthermore, the global variable `$injector: IInjector` gives access to the CLi Dependency Injector, through which all code services are available. + +Supported commands for hooking +============================== + +Only the `prepare` comand can be hooked. Internally, this command is also invoked during build and livesync. The later commands will execute the prepare hooks at the proper moment of their execution.