Node app generator unitTestRunner=none option throws error

[Ionaru]

Current Behavior

Using --unitTestRunner=none in nx generate @nrwl/node:application throws the error: Cannot convert undefined or null to object.
Full error below.

This makes it impossible to generate an app without unittest runner ( which I suppose is a good thing, but still... 😉 ).

Expected Behavior

An app should be created without unittest runner and without error.

Steps to Reproduce

Run the following:

npx create-nx-workspace test-test-runner --preset=core --nxCloud=false

cd test-test-runner

npm install -D @nrwl/node

npx nx generate @nrwl/node:application my-app --unitTestRunner=none

Failure Logs

With npx nx generate @nrwl/node:application my-app --unitTestRunner=none

Cannot convert undefined or null to object
TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\node\src\generators\init\init.js:11:21
    at updateJson (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\devkit\src\utils\json.js:45:26)
    at updateDependencies (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\node\src\generators\init\init.js:10:29)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\node\src\generators\init\init.js:30:35
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\tslib\tslib.js:117:75
    at new Promise (<anonymous>)
    at Object.__awaiter (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\tslib\tslib.js:113:16)
    at initGenerator (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\node\src\generators\init\init.js:23:20)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\node\src\generators\application\application.js:124:57

With npx nx generate @nrwl/web:application my-app --style=css --e2eTestRunner=none --unitTestRunner=none

Cannot convert undefined or null to object
TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\web\src\generators\init\init.js:13:21
    at updateJson (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\devkit\src\utils\json.js:45:26)
    at updateDependencies (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\web\src\generators\init\init.js:12:29)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\web\src\generators\init\init.js:44:29
    at Generator.next (<anonymous>)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\tslib\tslib.js:117:75
    at new Promise (<anonymous>)
    at Object.__awaiter (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\tslib\tslib.js:113:16)
    at webInitGenerator (C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\web\src\generators\init\init.js:33:20)
    at C:\Users\Jeroen\Projects\test-test-runner\node_modules\@nrwl\web\src\generators\application\application.js:107:59

Environment

   Node : 16.14.0
   OS   : win32 x64
   npm  : 8.6.0

   nx : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/angular : Not Found
   @nrwl/cypress : Not Found
   @nrwl/detox : Not Found
   @nrwl/devkit : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/eslint-plugin-nx : Not Found
   @nrwl/express : Not Found
   @nrwl/jest : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/js : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/linter : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/nest : Not Found
   @nrwl/next : Not Found
   @nrwl/node : 13.10.1
   @nrwl/nx-cloud : Not Found
   @nrwl/nx-plugin : Not Found
   @nrwl/react : Not Found
   @nrwl/react-native : Not Found
   @nrwl/schematics : Not Found
   @nrwl/storybook : Not Found
   @nrwl/web : Not Found
   @nrwl/workspace : 13.10.1
   typescript : 4.6.3
   rxjs : 6.6.7

[Ionaru]

The same happens using @nrwl/web:application, but only when both unitTestRunner and e2eTestRunner are none. Separately they cause no issues.

[gioragutt]

After doing some research, this is what I found:

function updateDependencies(tree: Tree) {
  updateJson(tree, 'package.json', (json) => {
    delete json.dependencies['@nrwl/node'];
    return json;
  });
  ...
}

This is a function declared in packages/node/src/generators/init/init.ts. A similar one is declared in packages/web/src/generators/init/init.ts with @nrwl/web instead of @nrwl/node.

let jestInstall: GeneratorCallback;
if (options.unitTestRunner === 'jest') {
  jestInstall = await jestInitGenerator(tree, {});
}
const installTask = await updateDependencies(tree);

if (!schema.unitTestRunner || schema.unitTestRunner === 'jest') {
  const jestTask = jestInitGenerator(tree, {});
  tasks.push(jestTask);
}
if (!schema.e2eTestRunner || schema.e2eTestRunner === 'cypress') {
  const cypressTask = cypressInitGenerator(tree, {});
  tasks.push(cypressTask);
}
const installTask = updateDependencies(tree);

These are snippets from the same files I specified above, respectively.
Looking at cypressInitGenerator and jestInitGenerator, they both initialize package.json["dependencies"] to have a value.

So, what happens here in practice, is that you probably do not have a "dependencies" key in your package.json, and the delete json.dependencies['@nrwl/node']; statement fails.

I did a quick check with node's repl, and got the same error message.

▶ node
Welcome to Node.js v16.14.0.
Type ".help" for more information.
> let json = {}
undefined
> delete json.dependencies.hello
Uncaught TypeError: Cannot convert undefined or null to object

Can you validate this?

[gioragutt]

In any case, I've validated it with unit tests, I'm now opening a PR to fix this issue 👍🏻
Good catch on the edge case in @nrwl/web, it made it very easy to compare the cases and find the case 💪🏻

[Ionaru]

Can you validate this?

Your findings seem correct, I did not have a dependencies field in my package.json, only devDependencies as it was a new project. After I install something as a regular dependency, both commands function normally.

Thank you so much for the quick response and fix!

[github-actions]

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