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execa

> A better `child_process`

# Why

- Promise interface.
- Strips EOF from the output so you don't have to `stdout.trim()`.
- Supports shebang binaries cross-platform.
- Improved Windows support.
- Higher max buffer. 10 MB instead of 200 KB.
- Executes locally installed binaries by name.
- Cleans up spawned processes when the parent process dies.

# Install

$ npm install execa

# Usage

const execa = require('execa');
(async () => {
const {stdout} = await execa('echo', ['unicorns']);
console.log(stdout);
//=> 'unicorns'
})();

Additional examples:

const execa = require('execa');
(async () => {
// Pipe the child process stdout to the current stdout
execa('echo', ['unicorns']).stdout.pipe(process.stdout);
// Run a shell command
const {stdout} = await execa.shell('echo unicorns');
//=> 'unicorns'
// Catching an error
try {
await execa.shell('exit 3');
} catch (error) {
console.log(error);
/*
{
message: 'Command failed: /bin/sh -c exit 3'
killed: false,
code: 3,
signal: null,
cmd: '/bin/sh -c exit 3',
stdout: '',
stderr: '',
timedOut: false
}
*/
}
})();
// Catching an error with a sync method
try {
execa.shellSync('exit 3');
} catch (error) {
console.log(error);
/*
{
message: 'Command failed: /bin/sh -c exit 3'
code: 3,
signal: null,
cmd: '/bin/sh -c exit 3',
stdout: '',
stderr: '',
timedOut: false
}
*/
}

# API

## execa(file, [arguments], [options])

Execute a file.

Think of this as a mix of `child_process.execFile` and `child_process.spawn`.

Returns a `child_process` instance, which is enhanced to also be a `Promise` for a result `Object` with `stdout` and `stderr` properties.

## execa.stdout(file, [arguments], [options])

Same as `execa()`, but returns only `stdout`.

## execa.stderr(file, [arguments], [options])

Same as `execa()`, but returns only `stderr`.

## execa.shell(command, [options])

Execute a command through the system shell. Prefer `execa()` whenever possible, as it's both faster and safer.

Returns a `child_process` instance.

The `child_process` instance is enhanced to also be promise for a result object with `stdout` and `stderr` properties.

## execa.sync(file, [arguments], [options])

Execute a file synchronously.

Returns the same result object as `child_process.spawnSync`.

This method throws an `Error` if the command fails.

## execa.shellSync(file, [options])

Execute a command synchronously through the system shell.

Returns the same result object as `child_process.spawnSync`.

## options

Type: `Object`

### cwd

Type: `string`
Default: `process.cwd()`

Current working directory of the child process.

### env

Type: `Object`
Default: `process.env`

Environment key-value pairs. Extends automatically from `process.env`. Set `extendEnv` to `false` if you don't want this.

### extendEnv

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Set to `false` if you don't want to extend the environment variables when providing the `env` property.

### argv0

Type: `string`

Explicitly set the value of `argv[0]` sent to the child process. This will be set to `command` or `file` if not specified.

### stdio

Type: `string[]` `string`
Default: `pipe`

Child's stdio configuration.

### detached

Type: `boolean`

Prepare child to run independently of its parent process. Specific behavior depends on the platform.

### uid

Type: `number`

Sets the user identity of the process.

### gid

Type: `number`

Sets the group identity of the process.

### shell

Type: `boolean` `string`
Default: `false`

If `true`, runs `command` inside of a shell. Uses `/bin/sh` on UNIX and `cmd.exe` on Windows. A different shell can be specified as a string. The shell should understand the `-c` switch on UNIX or `/d /s /c` on Windows.

### stripEof

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Strip EOF (last newline) from the output.

### preferLocal

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Prefer locally installed binaries when looking for a binary to execute.
If you `$ npm install foo`, you can then ‘execa('foo’)`.

### localDir

Type: `string`
Default: `process.cwd()`

Preferred path to find locally installed binaries in (use with `preferLocal`).

### input

Type: `string` `Buffer` `stream.Readable`

Write some input to the `stdin` of your binary.
Streams are not allowed when using the synchronous methods.

### reject

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Setting this to `false` resolves the promise with the error instead of rejecting it.

### cleanup

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Keep track of the spawned process and `kill` it when the parent process exits.

### encoding

Type: `string`
Default: `utf8`

Specify the character encoding used to decode the `stdout` and `stderr` output.

### timeout

Type: `number`
Default: `0`

If timeout is greater than `0`, the parent will send the signal identified by the `killSignal` property (the default is `SIGTERM`) if the child runs longer than timeout milliseconds.

### buffer

Type: `boolean`
Default: `true`

Buffer the output from the spawned process. When buffering is disabled you must consume the output of the `stdout` and `stderr` streams because the promise will not be resolved/rejected until they have completed.

### maxBuffer

Type: `number`
Default: `10000000` (10MB)

Largest amount of data in bytes allowed on `stdout` or `stderr`.

### killSignal

Type: `string` `number`
Default: `SIGTERM`

Signal value to be used when the spawned process will be killed.

### stdin

Type: `string` `number` `Stream` `undefined` `null`
Default: `pipe`

Same options as `stdio`.

### stdout

Type: `string` `number` `Stream` `undefined` `null`
Default: `pipe`

Same options as `stdio`.

### stderr

Type: `string` `number` `Stream` `undefined` `null`
Default: `pipe`

Same options as `stdio`.

### windowsVerbatimArguments

Type: `boolean`
Default: `false`

If `true`, no quoting or escaping of arguments is done on Windows. Ignored on other platforms. This is set to `true` automatically when the `shell` option is `true`.

# Tips

## Save and pipe output from a child process

Let's say you want to show the output of a child process in real-time while also saving it to a variable.

const execa = require('execa');
const getStream = require('get-stream');
const stream = execa('echo', ['foo']).stdout;
stream.pipe(process.stdout);
getStream(stream).then(value => {
console.log('child output:', value);
});

# License

MIT © Sindre Sorhus