Symlink Resolver

This tool allows to replace symbolic links by real files in given directory and revert the changes back to symlinks. All the magic in a simple cli command!

Installation

npm install symlink-resolver --save-dev

Node.js v6.4+ and POSIX-standarized operating system are required.

To your package.json scripts section add the following rule:

"scripts": {
    "symlink-resolver": "symlink-resolver",
}

Basic Usage

For fast usage you can simply run:

• npm run symlink-resolver build ./symlinks/path to replace symlinks by real files in ./symlinks/path
• npm run symlink-resolver clear ./symlinks/path to restore all symlinks

First command will create ./symlinks/path/.symlinks.json file which contains changes that have been made in this directory. It will be removed by the second command, however you can still add to your .gitignore the following rule: .symlinks.json

How to create a symlink?

Use ln -s target source command, i.e.:

ln -s ../../source/path/linked-dir ./project/src/linked-dir

Advanced usage

If you need this feature to make a build, then I strongly recommend to automatize your building process:

"scripts": {
        "symlink-resolver": "symlink-resolver",
        "prebuild": "npm run symlink-resolver build ./symlinks/path",
        "postbuild": "npm run symlink-resolver clear ./symlinks/path",
        "build": "your build command should be under this name"
}

This way you will be able to make a build and edit your files without worries.

However, in some cases like emulating a device, the "post" script will not be executed. If this is also your case then take a look at example workaround for NativeScript:

  "scripts": {
    "symlink-resolver": "symlink-resolver",
    "prens-bundle": "npm run symlink-resolver build ./symlinks/path",
    "delay-clear": "sleep 22 && npm run symlink-resolver clear ./symlinks/path",
    "ns-bundle": "npm run delay-clear | ns-bundle",
    "start-android-bundle": "npm run ns-bundle --android --start-app",
    "start-ios-bundle": "npm run ns-bundle --ios --start-app",
    "build-android-bundle": "npm run ns-bundle --android --build-app",
    "build-ios-bundle": "npm run ns-bundle --ios --build-app"
  },

Advanced configuration

You can adjust Config to your needs.

• Want to use custom symlinks file name? No problem, just set Config.symlinksFile to whatever you want.
• Need some custom behavior? Simply extend SymlinkHelper class and set Config.helperClass to yours.

export interface ConfigInterface {
    rootDir: string;
    symlinksFile: string;
    helperClass: typeof SymlinkHelper;
}

Happy developing!