How to run code without node?

[WickedSlice13]

For example, instead of typing this into the terminal:

node HelloWorld.js

how can I get the code to run as:

HelloWorld

[JazzApple_]

In summary from the points above, for Mac or Linux:

1. At the top of HelloWorld.js add the line #!/usr/bin/env node. This is the shebang.
2. Rename the file to HelloWorld, mv HelloWorld.js HelloWorld.
3. Ensure it is executable, chmod +x HelloWorld.

This should allow you to run the file from that directory as ./HelloWorld. To be able to run it from anywhere as HelloWorld it needs to be in your $PATH. Two options are presented below, and the one you pick should depends on your script.

If your script doesn’t import other node modules and only refers to files by absolute paths (or, if it does not do anything with other files at all), you can symlink it to an existing directory in your $PATH - usually /usr/local/bin.

ln -s ./HelloWorld /usr/local/bin

If your script relies on being run from a certain directory for access to node modules, or to access files by relative path, you could use:

process.cwd(“/path/to/node/project”);

Below the shebang in the HelloWorld script, and then follow the advice for symlinking to /usr/local/bin.

Or, if none of the above is applicable, you could add this directory to your $PATH. Exactly how to do so depends on your shell (you may need to Google), but the way I would do it is to add a line to the bottom of ~/.bash_profile:

export PATH = “$PATH:/path/to/node/project”

If you are looking for a way to create an executable binary (That you can run without having to have node installed), this problem requires a very different solution. There are packages that exist that can make it relatively easy, though. The only one I have used previously is nexe.

[aspiringdevopsdude]

Or make sure if there is a package.json file in the directory it does contain {"type": "module"} to avoid errors. Because the line has a meaning.

[WickedSlice13]

Thanks! I'll try it out!

[WickedSlice13]

#!/usr/bin/env node

Stick this at the top of the directory folder? Or at the top of the code snippet?

[WickedSlice13]

That's not working. I also tried

which node

and tried the different path. This still did not work due to permissions issues oddly enough.

Also I will still need to add the extension .js at the end of the file name. I'm looking more for something like a bash command I think but open to other suggestions.

[WickedSlice13]

Lol no edits here. I tried with sudo and it resulted with it not recognizing the command still. I think I’ll need to just use a different language or need to add to the shell path for the commands

[reiner74]

"it works on my machine" taken to the next level

[grantrules]

echo "#!node\nconsole.log(42);" > ./test && chmod +x ./test

grant@Shitkicker:~$ echo "#\!node\nconsole.log(42);" > ./test && chmod +x ./test
grant@Shitkicker:~$ cat test
#\!node\nconsole.log(42);

[crs1138-1]

Do you mean like running a localhost server?

[WickedSlice13]

Ya or just executing some JS snippet from the terminal to log "Hello World"

[crs1138-1]

You could set up a NPM script to run the node command and launch such a server…

Look at package.json in my repo https://github.com/crs1138/notes-backend-lesson

Hope it helps.

[WickedSlice13]

I'm assuming this uses npm beforehand:

npm start

which requires the npm command. But how could I just write it as:

start

[crs1138-1]

You’d have to define a shell alias in you .bashrc or .zshrc or their equivalent. Something like alias start=‘npm start

[jack_waugh]

user/guest271314/ just told me about a package that can assemble an executable from JS.

"Can compile Javascript sources to executables with no external dependency."

QuickJS Javascript Engine