Executing Multiple npm Scripts Simultaneously in Node.js

In Node.js projects, managing various tasks and workflows is a common requirement. npm scripts provide a powerful mechanism to define and execute these tasks. Sometimes, there is a need to run multiple npm scripts concurrently to enhance development workflows.

Structure of npm Scripts

In a typical package.json file, the “scripts” section allows developers to define various tasks. Each task is associated with a specific npm script.

To run a single script, you use the command such as npm run start or npm run dev.

"scripts": {
  "dev": "next dev",
  "build": "next build",
  "start": "next start",
}

Running Multiple npm Scripts Concurrently

1. Using & (Unix-like Systems):

On Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS), you can use the & operator to run multiple npm scripts in the background.

This Method will not work in Windows System

"scripts": {
  "dev": "next dev",
  "build": "next build",
  "start": "next start",
  "start-and-build": "npm run start & npm run build"
}

We can execute it with “npm run start-and-build”.

2. Using npm-run-all:

npm-run-all is a npm package that simplifies running multiple scripts. Install it as a development dependency.

Then, you can use it in your package.json:

"scripts": {
  "dev": "next dev",
  "build": "next build",
  "start": "next start",
  "start-and-build": "npm-run-all --parallel start build"
}

This npm-run-all package provides 3 CLI commands.

Both run-s and run-p are shorthand commands. run-s is for sequential, run-p is for parallel. We can make simple plans with those commands.