Build Shift

buildshift is a simple yet powerful CLI tool that automates the process of building your frontend app and seamlessly transferring the build files to your backend directory. With this tool, you no longer have to manually move your static assets or frontend build files to the backend after every change. It integrates your frontend and backend effortlessly, allowing you to focus more on coding and less on managing build steps.

Table of Contents

• Installation
  • Global Installation
  • Local Installation
• Usage
  • Using npx
  • Using Global Installation
• Example
• License
• Contributing
• About

Installation

You can install buildshift either globally or locally depending on your needs.

Global Installation

To use buildshift from anywhere on your system, install it globally:

npm install -g buildshift

Local Installation

To install the package locally within your project, run the following command:

npm install buildshift --save-dev

This is recommended if you want the tool to be available only within the project.

Usage

Using npx (Local Installation)

Once installed locally, you can run buildshift using npx without needing to install it globally:

npx buildshift <frontend-path> <backend-path>

Using Global Installation

If you've installed buildshift globally, you can run it directly from the command line:

buildshift <frontend-path> <backend-path>

In both cases, the tool will:

• Build your frontend app located in the specified <frontend-path>.
• Move the resulting build files to the specified <backend-path>.

Example

Let's say you have the following project structure:

/my-project
        /frontend    # Your React or other frontend project
        /backend     # Your backend service (Node, Express, etc.)

To build the frontend and move the build files into the backend, run:

Using npx (Local Installation)

npx buildshift ./frontend ./backend

Using Global Installation

buildshift ./frontend ./backend

This command will:

1. Run the frontend build process (typically npm run build).
2. Copy the build output to the /backend/public directory (by default).

You can also specify a custom directory for the built frontend by passing the dist-dir argument, e.g.:

buildshift ./frontend ./backend custom-dist

In this case, the build will be copied from the ./frontend/custom-dist directory instead of the default ./frontend/dist.

License

buildshift is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.

Contributing

We welcome contributions! If you'd like to contribute to buildshift, please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch for your changes.
3. Make your changes and add tests.
4. Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes.

About

buildshift was created to simplify and automate the process of integrating frontend builds with backend services, reducing the need for manual steps in the deployment process.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or issues, feel free to open an issue on GitHub or submit a pull request.