nest-builder

🔨 A powerful CLI tool to forge NestJS modules with better folder organization and structure.

Installation

npm install -g nest-builder

Or with yarn:

yarn global add nest-builder

Quick Start

# Navigate to your NestJS project
cd my-nestjs-app

# Generate a complete resource
nest-builder resource users

# Or use the short alias
nb res users

Usage

Generate Complete Resource (Recommended)

nest-builder resource users
# or
nb res users

This creates a complete CRUD module with organized folder structure:

src/users/
├── users.module.ts
├── controllers/
│   ├── users.controller.ts
│   └── users.controller.spec.ts
├── services/
│   ├── users.service.ts
│   └── users.service.spec.ts
├── dtos/
│   ├── create-user.dto.ts
│   └── update-user.dto.ts
└── entities/
    └── user.entity.ts

Generate Individual Components

# Generate only a controller
nest-builder controller users
nb co users

# Generate only a service
nest-builder service users
nb s users

# Generate only a module
nest-builder module users
nb mo users

Interactive Mode

Not sure what you need? Let the CLI guide you:

nest-builder resource
# Will ask for:
# - Module name
# - Transport layer (REST, GraphQL, etc.)
# - CRUD endpoints (yes/no)

Options

# Skip test files
nest-builder resource users --no-spec
nb res users --no-spec

# Generate empty controller/service (no CRUD)
nest-builder controller users --no-crud
nb service users --no-crud

All Available Commands

| Command | Alias | Description | |---------|-------|-------------| | nest-builder resource [name] | nb res | Generate complete module with all files | | nest-builder controller [name] | nb co | Generate controller only | | nest-builder service [name] | nb s | Generate service only | | nest-builder module [name] | nb mo | Generate module only | | nest-builder g <type> [name] | nb g | Generate using shorthand |

Shorthand Generate Commands

# Using the 'g' (generate) command
nest-builder g res users      # resource
nest-builder g co users       # controller
nest-builder g s users        # service
nest-builder g mo users       # module

Features

✨ Better Organization - Files organized in subfolders (controllers/, services/, dtos/, entities/)
🚀 Fast Generation - No compilation needed, instant file creation
🎯 Flexible - Generate complete resources or individual components
📝 TypeScript Ready - All files are TypeScript with proper imports
🧪 Testing Support - Generates spec files for testing (optional)
🔧 Interactive Mode - CLI guides you through the options
📦 Auto Import - Automatically updates app.module.ts

Examples

1. Generate a User Management Module

nest-builder resource users
# ✔ Creates complete CRUD structure
# ✔ Updates app.module.ts

2. Add Authentication Module

nest-builder resource auth --no-crud
# ✔ Creates module with empty controller/service
# ✔ Perfect for custom implementation

3. Generate Products with No Tests

nest-builder resource products --no-spec
# ✔ Skips .spec.ts files
# ✔ Faster for prototypes

4. Add a Controller to Existing Module

nest-builder controller orders
# ✔ Adds controller to existing orders module
# ✔ Module must exist first

Comparison with NestJS CLI

| Feature | NestJS CLI | nest-builder | |---------|------------|------------| | Command | nest g resource users | nest-builder resource users | | Folder Organization | Flat structure | Organized subfolders | | Speed | Requires compilation | Instant | | Interactive Mode | ✓ | ✓ | | CRUD Generation | ✓ | ✓ | | Custom Structure | ✗ | ✓ |

Generated File Structure

With nest-builder (Organized):

src/users/
├── users.module.ts
├── controllers/
│   └── users.controller.ts
├── services/
│   └── users.service.ts
├── dtos/
│   └── *.dto.ts
└── entities/
    └── *.entity.ts

With NestJS CLI (Flat):

src/users/
├── users.module.ts
├── users.controller.ts
├── users.service.ts
├── dto/
│   └── *.dto.ts
└── entities/
    └── *.entity.ts

Requirements

• Node.js >= 14.0.0
• An existing NestJS project
• Run from the root of your NestJS project

Installation & Setup Guide

# 1. Create your NestJS project (if you haven't)
nest new my-app
cd my-app

# 2. Install nest-builder globally
npm install -g nest-builder

# 3. Start generating modules!
nest-builder resource users
nest-builder resource products
nest-builder resource orders

# 4. Run your app
npm run start:dev

Tips & Best Practices

1. Start with resources: Use nest-builder resource for new features
2. Use singular names: The CLI will pluralize when needed
3. Follow NestJS conventions: Use kebab-case for file names
4. Generate tests: Keep --spec enabled for production code
5. Interactive mode for beginners: Just run nest-builder resource without arguments

Troubleshooting

"Not in a NestJS project"

• Make sure you're in the root directory of your NestJS project
• Check that package.json contains @nestjs/core

"Module already exists"

• The module folder already exists
• Use individual generators to add components

"Cannot find app.module.ts"

• Ensure src/app.module.ts exists
• The tool expects standard NestJS structure

Contributing

Found a bug or want a feature? Contributions are welcome!

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Open a Pull Request

License

MIT

Author

Built with ❤️ for NestJS developers who value their time and clean code architecture.

Note: This tool complements the official NestJS CLI. Use nest for project creation and nest-builder for better module generation.