Parcel: 🙋 - Is there a way to save the `--out-dir` config?

[kenmorechalfant]

I know that it's a goal of this project not to add any Parcel-specific config files, but is there any way that to set this up once and not have to pass the option every time?

If not, I think it's sorely needed.

[pierredavidbelanger]

I do not know specifically the answer to your question, but you can achieve mostly the same with the "scripts" section of the package.json file, like this:

  "scripts": {
    "build": "parcel build --out-dir out www/index.html"
  }

Then, just run it:

$ npm run build

[kenmorechalfant]

@pierredavidbelanger That's pretty good, I suppose.

On a different note: Is there a "build" for development? It seems like that's sort of a missing option. I suppose it's not so bad to watch and then just ctrl-c but it seems like building for production should have been a flag and not the whole build command.

Alternatively, the default parcel <file> could have been build for dev, but for some reason it assumes serve which is already a separate command. Seems an odd choice, to me.

[pierredavidbelanger]

I guess you are searching for parcel build --no-minify index.html to build for "dev" and parcel build index.html to build for prod.

[kenmorechalfant]

This is really strange but now my output file name is some crazy random name:
78bfe7508e2986e20ac4eb8ff6ea87bd.js

[pierredavidbelanger]

The "crazy random name" is a hash, it is intended and it is useful to bust cache :)

[kenmorechalfant]

I figured as much. And I also figured out how to get back the normal name: I had left off the .js extension in the input file my command, adding it back gave me back the normal name. This had me dumbfounded for a minute because I swore I was just running the same command I ran earlier and getting different results.

What's the reasoning for this behavior? I get the point of a hashed name but shouldn't it be an option and not sort of "hidden" by having to know to leave off the extension? It's a bit esoteric.

[pierredavidbelanger]

I am sorry, I am confused by your last comment.
I hope someone not newbe as me with parcel will be able to help you :)

[kenmorechalfant]

Or is that a bug? To be clear, this is the command I used:

$ parcel build public/js/main.js -d public/dist
built ... public/dist/main.js

And the output file name was also main.js as expected. Then, without the .js it gave me the hash name.

$ parcel build public/js/main -d public/dist
built ... public/dist/78bfe7508e2986e20ac4eb8ff6ea87bd.js

[pierredavidbelanger]

Oh I see,

In the first command, you are building a specific file, this file is the entry point, the entry point file name is never a hash.

In the second command, you are building a folder, parcel will build this as a module (so it must contains an index.js).

I guess you already read the Getting Started section that explain very well the main use case.

I suggest you head over to the chat if you have others questions like that (or feedbacks, or suggestions).

[DeMoorJasper]

I'll close this of as Parcel is currently a CLI tool (with an API) and can only be used using the cli (or a self-made script that uses the api)
So like @pierredavidbelanger already said u can use this to keep it stored

 "scripts": {
   "build": "parcel build --out-dir out www/index.html"
 }

[muhammedMoussa]

I'll close this of as Parcel is currently a CLI tool (with an API) and can only be used using the cli (or a self-made script that uses the api)
So like @pierredavidbelanger already said u can use this to keep it stored

 "scripts": {
   "build": "parcel build --out-dir out www/index.html"
 }

i'm running parcel ^2.0.0-alpha.3.2 and got error: unknown option --out-dir'

[mischnic]

Will be added back as --dist-dir in the next alpha: https://github.com/parcel-bundler/parcel/pull/4113