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Modern $ shell utility library with streaming, async iteration, and EventEmitter support, optimized for Bun runtime

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  • command-stream

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command-$tream

$treamable commands executor

A modern $ shell utility library with streaming, async iteration, and EventEmitter support, optimized for Bun runtime.

ray-so-export

Features

  • 🐚 Shell-like by Default: Commands behave exactly like running in terminal (stdoutβ†’stdout, stderrβ†’stderr, stdinβ†’stdin)
  • πŸŽ›οΈ Fully Controllable: Override default behavior with options (mirror, capture, stdin)
  • πŸš€ Multiple Usage Patterns: Classic await, async iteration, EventEmitter, .pipe() method, and mixed patterns
  • πŸ“‘ Real-time Streaming: Process command output as it arrives, not after completion
  • πŸ”„ Bun Optimized: Designed for Bun runtime with Node.js compatibility
  • ⚑ Performance: Memory-efficient streaming prevents large buffer accumulation
  • 🎯 Backward Compatible: Existing await $ syntax continues to work + Bun.$ .text() method
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Type Safe: Full TypeScript support (coming soon)
  • πŸ”§ Built-in Commands: 18 essential commands work identically across platforms

Comparison with Other Libraries

Feature command-stream Bun.$ execa zx ShellJS cross-spawn
Runtime Support βœ… Bun + Node.js 🟑 Bun only βœ… Node.js βœ… Node.js βœ… Node.js βœ… Node.js
Template Literals βœ… $`cmd` βœ… $`cmd` βœ… $`cmd` βœ… $`cmd` ❌ Function calls ❌ Function calls
Real-time Streaming βœ… Live output ❌ Buffer only 🟑 Limited ❌ Buffer only ❌ Buffer only ❌ Buffer only
Synchronous Execution βœ… .sync() with events ❌ No βœ… execaSync ❌ No βœ… Sync by default βœ… spawnSync
Async Iteration βœ… for await (chunk of $.stream()) ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No
EventEmitter Pattern βœ… .on('data', ...) ❌ No 🟑 Limited events ❌ No ❌ No 🟑 Child process events
Mixed Patterns βœ… Events + await/sync ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No
Bun.$ Compatibility βœ… .text() method support βœ… Native API ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No
Shell Injection Protection βœ… Auto-quoting βœ… Built-in βœ… Safe by default βœ… Safe by default 🟑 Manual escaping βœ… Safe by default
Cross-platform βœ… macOS/Linux/Windows βœ… Yes βœ… Yes βœ… Yes βœ… Yes βœ… Specialized cross-platform
Performance ⚑ Fast (Bun optimized) ⚑ Very fast 🐌 Moderate 🐌 Slow 🐌 Moderate ⚑ Fast
Memory Efficiency βœ… Streaming prevents buildup 🟑 Buffers in memory 🟑 Buffers in memory 🟑 Buffers in memory 🟑 Buffers in memory 🟑 Buffers in memory
Error Handling βœ… Configurable (set -e/set +e, non-zero OK by default) βœ… Throws on error βœ… Throws on error βœ… Throws on error βœ… Configurable ❌ Basic (exit codes)
Shell Settings βœ… set -e/set +e equivalent ❌ No ❌ No ❌ No 🟑 Limited (set()) ❌ No
Stdout Support βœ… Real-time streaming + events βœ… Shell redirection + buffered βœ… Node.js streams + interleaved βœ… Readable streams + .pipe.stdout βœ… Direct output βœ… Inherited/buffered
Stderr Support βœ… Real-time streaming + events βœ… Redirection + .quiet() access βœ… Streams + interleaved output βœ… Readable streams + .pipe.stderr βœ… Error output βœ… Inherited/buffered
Stdin Support βœ… string/Buffer/inherit/ignore βœ… Pipe operations βœ… Input/output streams βœ… Basic stdin 🟑 Basic βœ… Full stdio support
Built-in Commands βœ… 18 commands: cat, ls, mkdir, rm, mv, cp, touch, basename, dirname, seq, yes + all Bun.$ commands βœ… echo, cd, etc. ❌ Uses system ❌ Uses system βœ… 20+ commands: cat, ls, mkdir, rm, mv, cp, etc. ❌ Uses system
Virtual Commands Engine βœ… Revolutionary: Register JavaScript functions as shell commands with full pipeline support ❌ No extensibility ❌ No custom commands ❌ No custom commands ❌ No custom commands ❌ No custom commands
Pipeline/Piping Support βœ… Advanced: System + Built-ins + Virtual + Mixed + .pipe() method βœ… Standard shell piping βœ… Programmatic .pipe() + multi-destination βœ… Shell piping + .pipe() method βœ… Shell piping + .to() method ❌ No piping
Bundle Size πŸ“¦ ~20KB gzipped 🎯 0KB (built-in) πŸ“¦ ~400KB+ (packagephobia) πŸ“¦ ~50KB+ (estimated) πŸ“¦ ~15KB gzipped πŸ“¦ ~2KB gzipped
Signal Handling βœ… Advanced SIGINT/SIGTERM forwarding with cleanup 🟑 Basic 🟑 Basic 🟑 Basic 🟑 Basic βœ… Excellent cross-platform
Process Management βœ… Robust child process lifecycle with proper termination ❌ Basic βœ… Good 🟑 Limited 🟑 Limited βœ… Excellent spawn wrapper
Debug Tracing βœ… Comprehensive VERBOSE logging for CI/debugging ❌ No 🟑 Limited ❌ No 🟑 Basic ❌ No
Test Coverage βœ… 410 tests, 909 assertions 🟑 Good coverage βœ… Excellent 🟑 Good βœ… Good βœ… Good
CI Reliability βœ… Platform-specific handling (macOS/Ubuntu) 🟑 Basic βœ… Good 🟑 Basic βœ… Good βœ… Excellent
Documentation βœ… Comprehensive examples + guides βœ… Good βœ… Excellent 🟑 Limited βœ… Good 🟑 Basic
TypeScript πŸ”„ Coming soon βœ… Built-in βœ… Full support βœ… Full support 🟑 Community types βœ… Built-in
License βœ… Unlicense (Public Domain) 🟑 MIT (+ LGPL dependencies) 🟑 MIT 🟑 Apache 2.0 🟑 BSD-3-Clause 🟑 MIT

πŸ“Š Popularity (Weekly Downloads 2024): cross-spawn: 102M+ β€’ execa: 98M+ β€’ ShellJS: 9M+ β€’ zx: Growing fast

Why Choose command-stream?

  • πŸ†“ Truly Free: Unlicense (Public Domain) - No restrictions, no attribution required, use however you want
  • πŸš€ Revolutionary Virtual Commands: World's first fully customizable virtual commands engine - register JavaScript functions as shell commands!
  • πŸ”— Advanced Pipeline System: Only library where virtual commands work seamlessly in pipelines with built-ins and system commands
  • πŸ”§ Built-in Commands: 18 essential commands work identically across all platforms - no system dependencies!
  • πŸ“‘ Real-time Processing: Only library with true streaming and async iteration
  • πŸ”„ Flexible Patterns: Multiple usage patterns (await, events, iteration, mixed)
  • 🐚 Shell Replacement: Dynamic error handling with set -e/set +e equivalents for .sh file replacement
  • ⚑ Bun Optimized: Designed for Bun with Node.js fallback compatibility
  • πŸ’Ύ Memory Efficient: Streaming prevents large buffer accumulation
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Production Ready: 410 tests, 909 assertions with comprehensive coverage including CI reliability
  • 🎯 Advanced Signal Handling: Robust SIGINT/SIGTERM forwarding with proper child process cleanup
  • πŸ” Debug-Friendly: Comprehensive VERBOSE tracing for CI debugging and troubleshooting

Built-in Commands (πŸš€ NEW!)

command-stream now includes 18 built-in commands that work identically to their bash/sh counterparts, providing true cross-platform shell scripting without system dependencies:

πŸ“ File System Commands

  • cat - Read and display file contents
  • ls - List directory contents (supports -l, -a, -A)
  • mkdir - Create directories (supports -p recursive)
  • rm - Remove files/directories (supports -r, -f)
  • mv - Move/rename files and directories
  • cp - Copy files/directories (supports -r recursive)
  • touch - Create files or update timestamps

πŸ”§ Utility Commands

  • basename - Extract filename from path
  • dirname - Extract directory from path
  • seq - Generate number sequences
  • yes - Output string repeatedly (streaming)

⚑ System Commands

  • cd - Change directory
  • pwd - Print working directory
  • echo - Print arguments (supports -n)
  • sleep - Wait for specified time
  • true/false - Success/failure commands
  • which - Locate commands
  • exit - Exit with code
  • env - Print environment variables
  • test - File condition testing

✨ Key Advantages

  • 🌍 Cross-Platform: Works identically on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • πŸš€ Performance: No system calls - pure JavaScript execution
  • πŸ”„ Pipeline Support: All commands work in pipelines and virtual command chains
  • βš™οΈ Option Aware: Commands respect cwd, env, and other options
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Safe by Default: Proper error handling and safety checks (e.g., rm requires -r for directories)
  • πŸ“ Bash Compatible: Error messages and behavior match bash/sh exactly
import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// All these work without any system dependencies!
await $`mkdir -p project/src`;
await $`touch project/src/index.js`;
await $`echo "console.log('Hello!');" > project/src/index.js`;
await $`ls -la project/src`;
await $`cat project/src/index.js`;
await $`cp -r project project-backup`;
await $`rm -r project-backup`;

// Mix built-ins with pipelines and virtual commands
await $`seq 1 5 | cat > numbers.txt`;
await $`basename /path/to/file.txt .txt`; // β†’ "file"

Installation

# Using npm
npm install command-stream

# Using bun
bun add command-stream

Usage Patterns

Classic Await (Backward Compatible)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

const result = await $`ls -la`;
console.log(result.stdout);
console.log(result.code); // exit code

Custom Options with $({ options }) Syntax (NEW!)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Create a $ with custom options
const $silent = $({ mirror: false, capture: true });
const result = await $silent`echo "quiet operation"`;

// Options for stdin handling
const $withInput = $({ stdin: 'input data\n' });
await $withInput`cat`; // Pipes the input to cat

// Custom environment variables
const $withEnv = $({ env: { ...process.env, MY_VAR: 'value' } });
await $withEnv`printenv MY_VAR`; // Prints: value

// Custom working directory
const $inTmp = $({ cwd: '/tmp' });
await $inTmp`pwd`; // Prints: /tmp

// Combine multiple options
const $custom = $({
  stdin: 'test data',
  mirror: false,
  capture: true,
  cwd: '/tmp'
});
await $custom`cat > output.txt`; // Writes to /tmp/output.txt silently

// Reusable configurations
const $prod = $({ env: { NODE_ENV: 'production' }, capture: true });
await $prod`npm start`;
await $prod`npm test`;

Execution Control (NEW!)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Commands don't auto-start when created
const cmd = $`echo "hello"`;

// Three ways to start execution:

// 1. Explicit start with options
cmd.start();                    // Default async mode
cmd.start({ mode: 'async' });   // Explicitly async
cmd.start({ mode: 'sync' });    // Synchronous execution

// 2. Convenience methods
cmd.async();  // Same as start({ mode: 'async' })
cmd.sync();   // Same as start({ mode: 'sync' })

// 3. Auto-start by awaiting (always async)
await cmd;    // Auto-starts in async mode

// Event handlers can be attached before starting
const process = $`long-command`
  .on('data', chunk => console.log('Received:', chunk))
  .on('end', result => console.log('Done!'));

// Start whenever you're ready
process.start();

Synchronous Execution

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Use .sync() for blocking execution
const result = $`echo "hello"`.sync();
console.log(result.stdout); // "hello\n"

// Events still work but are batched after completion
$`echo "world"`
  .on('end', result => console.log('Done:', result))
  .sync();

Async Iteration (Real-time Streaming)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

for await (const chunk of $`long-running-command`.stream()) {
  if (chunk.type === 'stdout') {
    console.log('Real-time output:', chunk.data.toString());
  }
}

EventEmitter Pattern (Event-driven)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Attach event handlers then start execution
$`command`
  .on('data', chunk => {
    if (chunk.type === 'stdout') {
      console.log('Stdout:', chunk.data.toString());
    }
  })
  .on('stderr', chunk => console.log('Stderr:', chunk))
  .on('end', result => console.log('Done:', result))
  .on('exit', code => console.log('Exit code:', code))
  .start(); // Explicitly start the command

// Or auto-start by awaiting
const cmd = $`another-command`
  .on('data', chunk => console.log(chunk));
await cmd; // Auto-starts in async mode

Mixed Pattern (Best of Both Worlds)

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Async mode - events fire in real-time
const process = $`streaming-command`;
process.on('data', chunk => {
  processRealTimeData(chunk);
});
const result = await process;
console.log('Final output:', result.stdout);

// Sync mode - events fire after completion (batched)
const syncCmd = $`another-command`;
syncCmd.on('end', result => {
  console.log('Completed with:', result.stdout);
});
const syncResult = syncCmd.sync();

Shell Replacement (.sh β†’ .mjs)

Replace bash scripts with JavaScript while keeping shell semantics:

import { $, shell, set, unset } from 'command-stream';

// set -e equivalent: exit on any error
shell.errexit(true);

await $`mkdir -p build`;
await $`npm run build`;

// set +e equivalent: allow errors (like bash)
shell.errexit(false);
const cleanup = await $`rm -rf temp`; // Won't throw if fails

// set -e again for critical operations  
shell.errexit(true);
await $`cp -r build/* deploy/`;

// Other bash-like settings
shell.verbose(true);  // set -v: print commands
shell.xtrace(true);   // set -x: trace execution

// Or use the bash-style API
set('e');    // set -e
unset('e');  // set +e
set('x');    // set -x
set('verbose'); // Long form also supported

Cross-Platform File Operations (Built-in Commands)

Replace system-dependent operations with built-in commands that work identically everywhere:

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// File system operations work on Windows, macOS, and Linux identically
await $`mkdir -p project/src project/tests`;
await $`touch project/src/index.js project/tests/test.js`;

// List files with details
const files = await $`ls -la project/src`;
console.log(files.stdout);

// Copy and move operations
await $`cp project/src/index.js project/src/backup.js`;
await $`mv project/src/backup.js project/backup.js`;

// File content operations
await $`echo "export default 'Hello World';" > project/src/index.js`;
const content = await $`cat project/src/index.js`;
console.log(content.stdout);

// Path operations
const filename = await $`basename project/src/index.js .js`; // β†’ "index"
const directory = await $`dirname project/src/index.js`;     // β†’ "project/src"

// Generate sequences and process them
await $`seq 1 10 | cat > numbers.txt`;
const numbers = await $`cat numbers.txt`;

// Cleanup
await $`rm -r project numbers.txt`;

Virtual Commands (Extensible Shell)

Create custom commands that work seamlessly alongside built-ins:

import { $, register, unregister, listCommands } from 'command-stream';

// Register a custom command
register('greet', async (args, stdin) => {
  const name = args[0] || 'World';
  return { stdout: `Hello, ${name}!\n`, code: 0 };
});

// Use it like any other command
await $`greet Alice`;                    // β†’ "Hello, Alice!"
await $`echo "Bob" | greet`;             // β†’ "Hello, Bob!"

// Streaming virtual commands with async generators
register('countdown', async function* (args) {
  const start = parseInt(args[0] || 5);
  for (let i = start; i >= 0; i--) {
    yield `${i}\n`;
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));
  }
});

// Use in pipelines with built-ins
await $`countdown 3 | cat > countdown.txt`;

// Virtual commands work in all patterns
for await (const chunk of $`countdown 3`.stream()) {
  console.log('Countdown:', chunk.data.toString().trim());
}

// Management functions
console.log(listCommands());  // List all registered commands
unregister('greet');          // Remove custom commands

πŸ”₯ Why Virtual Commands Are Revolutionary

No other shell library offers this level of extensibility:

  • 🚫 Bun.$: Fixed set of built-in commands, no extensibility API
  • 🚫 execa: Transform/pipeline system, but no custom commands
  • 🚫 zx: JavaScript functions only, no shell command integration

command-stream breaks the barrier between JavaScript functions and shell commands:

// ❌ Other libraries: Choose JavaScript OR shell
await execa('node', ['script.js']);  // execa: separate processes
await $`node script.js`;             // zx: shell commands only

// βœ… command-stream: JavaScript functions AS shell commands  
register('deploy', async (args) => {
  const env = args[0] || 'staging';
  await deployToEnvironment(env);
  return { stdout: `Deployed to ${env}!\n`, code: 0 };
});

await $`deploy production`;           // JavaScript function as shell command!
await $`deploy staging | tee log.txt`; // Works in pipelines!

Unique capabilities:

  • Seamless Integration: Virtual commands work exactly like built-ins
  • Pipeline Support: Full stdin/stdout passing between virtual and system commands
  • Streaming: Async generators for real-time output
  • Dynamic Registration: Add/remove commands at runtime
  • Option Awareness: Virtual commands respect cwd, env, etc.

πŸ”— Advanced Pipeline Support

command-stream offers the most advanced piping system in the JavaScript ecosystem:

Shell-Style Piping (Traditional)

import { $, register } from 'command-stream';

// βœ… Standard shell piping (like all libraries)
await $`echo "hello world" | wc -w`;  // β†’ "2"

// βœ… Built-in to built-in piping  
await $`seq 1 5 | cat > numbers.txt`;

// βœ… System to built-in piping
await $`git log --oneline | head -n 5`;

// πŸš€ UNIQUE: Virtual command piping
register('uppercase', async (args, stdin) => {
  return { stdout: stdin.toUpperCase(), code: 0 };
});

register('reverse', async (args, stdin) => {
  return { stdout: stdin.split('').reverse().join(''), code: 0 };
});

// βœ… Built-in to virtual piping
await $`echo "hello" | uppercase`;  // β†’ "HELLO"

// βœ… Virtual to virtual piping  
await $`echo "hello" | uppercase | reverse`;  // β†’ "OLLEH"

// βœ… Mixed pipelines (system + built-in + virtual)
await $`git log --oneline | head -n 3 | uppercase | cat > LOG.txt`;

// βœ… Complex multi-stage pipelines
await $`find . -name "*.js" | head -n 10 | basename | sort | uniq`;

πŸš€ Programmatic .pipe() Method (NEW!)

World's first shell library with full .pipe() method support for virtual commands:

import { $, register } from 'command-stream';

// βœ… Basic programmatic piping
const result = await $`echo "hello"`.pipe($`echo "World: $(cat)"`);

// 🌟 Virtual command chaining
register('add-prefix', async (args, stdin) => {
  const prefix = args[0] || 'PREFIX:';
  return { stdout: `${prefix} ${stdin.trim()}\n`, code: 0 };
});

register('add-suffix', async (args, stdin) => {
  const suffix = args[0] || 'SUFFIX';
  return { stdout: `${stdin.trim()} ${suffix}\n`, code: 0 };
});

// βœ… Chain virtual commands with .pipe()
const result = await $`echo "Hello"`
  .pipe($`add-prefix "[PROCESSED]"`)
  .pipe($`add-suffix "!!!"`);
// β†’ "[PROCESSED] Hello !!!"

// βœ… Mix with built-in commands
const fileData = await $`cat large-file.txt`
  .pipe($`head -n 100`)
  .pipe($`add-prefix "Line:"`);

// βœ… Error handling in pipelines
try {
  const result = await $`cat nonexistent.txt`.pipe($`add-prefix "Data:"`);
} catch (error) {
  // Source error propagates - destination never executes
  console.log('File not found, pipeline stopped');
}

// βœ… Complex data processing
register('json-parse', async (args, stdin) => {
  try {
    const data = JSON.parse(stdin);
    return { stdout: JSON.stringify(data, null, 2), code: 0 };
  } catch (error) {
    return { stdout: '', stderr: `JSON Error: ${error.message}`, code: 1 };
  }
});

register('extract-field', async (args, stdin) => {
  const field = args[0];
  try {
    const data = JSON.parse(stdin);
    const value = data[field] || 'null';
    return { stdout: `${value}\n`, code: 0 };
  } catch (error) {
    return { stdout: '', stderr: `Extract Error: ${error.message}`, code: 1 };
  }
});

// Real-world API processing pipeline
const userName = await $`curl -s https://api.github.com/users/octocat`
  .pipe($`json-parse`)
  .pipe($`extract-field name`);
// β†’ "The Octocat"

// Cleanup
unregister('add-prefix');
unregister('add-suffix');
unregister('json-parse');
unregister('extract-field');

πŸ†š How We Compare

Library Pipeline Types Custom Commands in Pipes .pipe() Method Real-time Streaming
command-stream βœ… System + Built-ins + Virtual + Mixed βœ… Full support βœ… Full virtual command support βœ… Yes
Bun.$ βœ… System + Built-ins ❌ No custom commands ❌ No .pipe() method ❌ No
execa βœ… Programmatic .pipe() ❌ No shell integration βœ… Basic process piping 🟑 Limited
zx βœ… Shell piping + .pipe() ❌ No custom commands βœ… Stream piping only ❌ No

🎯 Unique Advantages:

  • Virtual commands work seamlessly in both shell pipes AND .pipe() method - no other library can do this
  • Mixed pipeline types - combine system, built-in, and virtual commands freely in both syntaxes
  • Real-time streaming through virtual command pipelines
  • Full stdin/stdout passing between all command types
  • Dual piping syntax - use shell | OR programmatic .pipe() interchangeably

Default Behavior: Shell-like with Programmatic Control

command-stream behaves exactly like running commands in your shell by default:

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// This command will:
// 1. Print "Hello" to your terminal (stdout→stdout)
// 2. Print "Error!" to your terminal (stderr→stderr) 
// 3. Capture both outputs for programmatic access
const result = await $`sh -c "echo 'Hello'; echo 'Error!' >&2"`;

console.log('Captured stdout:', result.stdout); // "Hello\n"
console.log('Captured stderr:', result.stderr); // "Error!\n"
console.log('Exit code:', result.code);         // 0

Key Default Options:

  • mirror: true - Live output to terminal (like shell)
  • capture: true - Capture output for later use (unlike shell)
  • stdin: 'inherit' - Inherit stdin from parent process

Fully Controllable:

import { $, create, sh } from 'command-stream';

// Disable terminal output but still capture
const result = await sh('echo "silent"', { mirror: false });

// Custom stdin input  
const custom = await sh('cat', { stdin: "custom input" });

// Create custom $ with different defaults
const quiet$ = create({ mirror: false });
await quiet$`echo "silent"`; // Won't print to terminal

// Disable both mirroring and capturing for performance
await sh('make build', { mirror: false, capture: false });

This gives you the best of both worlds: shell-like behavior by default, but with full programmatic control and real-time streaming capabilities.

Real-world Examples

Log File Streaming with Session ID Extraction

import { $ } from 'command-stream';
import { appendFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs';

let sessionId = null;
let logFile = null;

for await (const chunk of $`your-streaming-command`.stream()) {
  if (chunk.type === 'stdout') {
    const data = chunk.data.toString();
    
    // Extract session ID from output
    if (!sessionId && data.includes('session_id')) {
      try {
        const parsed = JSON.parse(data);
        sessionId = parsed.session_id;
        logFile = `${sessionId}.log`;
        console.log(`Session ID: ${sessionId}`);
      } catch (e) {
        // Handle JSON parse errors
      }
    }
    
    // Write to log file in real-time
    if (logFile) {
      appendFileSync(logFile, data);
    }
  }
}

Progress Monitoring

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

let progress = 0;

$`download-large-file`
  .on('stdout', (chunk) => {
    const output = chunk.toString();
    if (output.includes('Progress:')) {
      progress = parseProgress(output);
      updateProgressBar(progress);
    }
  })
  .on('end', (result) => {
    console.log('Download completed!');
  });

API Reference

ProcessRunner Class

The enhanced $ function returns a ProcessRunner instance that extends EventEmitter.

Events

  • data: Emitted for each chunk with {type: 'stdout'|'stderr', data: Buffer}
  • stdout: Emitted for stdout chunks (Buffer)
  • stderr: Emitted for stderr chunks (Buffer)
  • end: Emitted when process completes with final result object
  • exit: Emitted with exit code

Methods

  • start(options): Explicitly start command execution
    • options.mode: 'async' (default) or 'sync' - execution mode
  • async(): Shortcut for start({ mode: 'async' }) - start async execution
  • sync(): Shortcut for start({ mode: 'sync' }) - execute synchronously (blocks until completion)
  • stream(): Returns an async iterator for real-time chunk processing
  • pipe(destination): Programmatically pipe output to another command (returns new ProcessRunner)
  • then(), catch(), finally(): Promise interface for await support (auto-starts in async mode)

Properties

  • stdout: Direct access to child process stdout stream
  • stderr: Direct access to child process stderr stream
  • stdin: Direct access to child process stdin stream

Default Options

By default, command-stream behaves like running commands in the shell:

{
  mirror: true,    // Live output to terminal (stdout→stdout, stderr→stderr)
  capture: true,   // Capture output for programmatic access
  stdin: 'inherit' // Inherit stdin from parent process
}

Option Details:

  • mirror: boolean - Whether to pipe output to terminal in real-time
  • capture: boolean - Whether to capture output in result object
  • stdin: 'inherit' | 'ignore' | string | Buffer - How to handle stdin
  • cwd: string - Working directory for command
  • env: object - Environment variables

Override defaults:

  • Use $({ options }) syntax for one-off configurations with template literals
  • Use sh(command, options) for one-off overrides with string commands
  • Use create(defaultOptions) to create custom $ with different defaults

Shell Settings API

Control shell behavior like bash set/unset commands:

Functions

  • shell.errexit(boolean): Enable/disable exit-on-error (like set Β±e)
  • shell.verbose(boolean): Enable/disable command printing (like set Β±v)
  • shell.xtrace(boolean): Enable/disable execution tracing (like set Β±x)
  • set(option): Enable shell option ('e', 'v', 'x', or long names)
  • unset(option): Disable shell option
  • shell.settings(): Get current settings object

Error Handling Modes

import { $, shell } from 'command-stream';

// βœ… Default behavior: Commands don't throw on non-zero exit
const result = await $`ls nonexistent-file`; // Won't throw
console.log(result.code); // β†’ 2 (non-zero, but no exception)

// βœ… Enable errexit: Commands throw on non-zero exit
shell.errexit(true);
try {
  await $`ls nonexistent-file`; // Throws error
} catch (error) {
  console.log('Command failed:', error.code); // β†’ 2
}

// βœ… Disable errexit: Back to non-throwing behavior
shell.errexit(false);
await $`ls nonexistent-file`; // Won't throw, returns result with code 2

// βœ… One-time override without changing global settings
try {
  const result = await $`ls nonexistent-file`;
  if (result.code !== 0) {
    throw new Error(`Command failed with code ${result.code}`);
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.log('Manual error handling');
}

Virtual Commands API

Control and extend the command system with custom JavaScript functions:

Functions

  • register(name, handler): Register a virtual command
    • name: Command name (string)
    • handler: Function or async generator (args, stdin, options) => result
  • unregister(name): Remove a virtual command
  • listCommands(): Get array of all registered command names
  • enableVirtualCommands(): Enable virtual command processing
  • disableVirtualCommands(): Disable virtual commands (use system commands only)

Advanced Virtual Command Features

import { $, register } from 'command-stream';

// βœ… Cancellation support with AbortController
register('cancellable', async function* (args, stdin, options) {
  for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    if (options.signal?.aborted) {
      break; // Proper cancellation handling
    }
    yield `Count: ${i}\n`;
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
  }
});

// βœ… Access to all process options
register('debug-info', async (args, stdin, options) => {
  return {
    stdout: JSON.stringify({
      args,
      cwd: options.cwd,
      env: Object.keys(options.env || {}),
      stdinLength: stdin.length,
      mirror: options.mirror,
      capture: options.capture
    }, null, 2),
    code: 0
  };
});

// βœ… Error handling and non-zero exit codes
register('maybe-fail', async (args) => {
  if (Math.random() > 0.5) {
    return {
      stdout: 'Success!\n',
      code: 0
    };
  } else {
    return {
      stdout: '',
      stderr: 'Random failure occurred\n',
      code: 1
    };
  }
});

Handler Function Signature

// Regular async function
async function handler(args, stdin, options) {
  return {
    code: 0,           // Exit code (number)
    stdout: "output",  // Standard output (string)
    stderr: "",        // Standard error (string)
  };
}

// Async generator for streaming
async function* streamingHandler(args, stdin, options) {
  yield "chunk1\n";
  yield "chunk2\n";
  // Each yield sends a chunk in real-time
}

Built-in Commands

18 cross-platform commands that work identically everywhere:

File System: cat, ls, mkdir, rm, mv, cp, touch
Utilities: basename, dirname, seq, yes
System: cd, pwd, echo, sleep, true, false, which, exit, env, test

All built-in commands support:

  • Standard flags (e.g., ls -la, mkdir -p, rm -rf)
  • Pipeline operations
  • Option awareness (cwd, env, etc.)
  • Bash-compatible error messages and exit codes

Supported Options

  • 'e' / 'errexit': Exit on command failure
  • 'v' / 'verbose': Print commands before execution
  • 'x' / 'xtrace': Trace command execution with + prefix
  • 'u' / 'nounset': Error on undefined variables (planned)
  • 'pipefail': Pipe failure detection (planned)

Result Object

{
  code: number,        // Exit code
  stdout: string,      // Complete stdout output
  stderr: string,      // Complete stderr output
  stdin: string,       // Input sent to process
  child: ChildProcess, // Original child process object
  async text()         // Bun.$ compatibility method - returns stdout as string
}

.text() Method (Bun.$ Compatibility)

For compatibility with Bun.$, all result objects include an async .text() method:

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Both sync and async execution support .text()
const result1 = await $`echo "hello world"`;
const text1 = await result1.text(); // "hello world\n"

const result2 = $`echo "sync example"`.sync();  
const text2 = await result2.text(); // "sync example\n"

// .text() is equivalent to accessing .stdout
expect(await result.text()).toBe(result.stdout);

// Works with built-in commands
const result3 = await $`seq 1 3`;
const text3 = await result3.text(); // "1\n2\n3\n"

// Works with .pipe() method
const result4 = await $`echo "pipe test"`.pipe($`cat`);
const text4 = await result4.text(); // "pipe test\n"

Signal Handling (CTRL+C Support)

The library provides advanced CTRL+C handling that properly manages signals across different scenarios:

How It Works

  1. Smart Signal Forwarding: CTRL+C is forwarded only when child processes are active
  2. User Handler Preservation: When no children are running, your custom SIGINT handlers work normally
  3. Process Groups: Child processes use detached spawning for proper signal isolation
  4. TTY Mode Support: Raw TTY mode is properly managed and restored on interruption
  5. Graceful Termination: Uses SIGTERM β†’ SIGKILL escalation for robust process cleanup
  6. Exit Code Standards: Proper signal exit codes (130 for SIGINT, 143 for SIGTERM)

Advanced Signal Behavior

// βœ… Smart signal handling - only interferes when necessary
import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// Case 1: No children active - your handlers work normally  
process.on('SIGINT', () => {
  console.log('My custom handler runs!');
  process.exit(42); // Custom exit code
});
// Press CTRL+C β†’ Your handler runs, exits with code 42

// Case 2: Children active - automatic forwarding
await $`ping 8.8.8.8`; // Press CTRL+C β†’ Forwards to ping, exits with code 130

// Case 3: Multiple processes - all interrupted
await Promise.all([
  $`sleep 100`,
  $`ping google.com`  
]); // Press CTRL+C β†’ All processes terminated, exits with code 130

Examples

// Long-running command that can be interrupted with CTRL+C
try {
  await $`ping 8.8.8.8`;  // Press CTRL+C to stop
} catch (error) {
  console.log('Command interrupted:', error.code); // Exit code 130 (SIGINT)
}

// Multiple concurrent processes - CTRL+C stops all
try {
  await Promise.all([
    $`sleep 100`,
    $`ping google.com`,
    $`tail -f /var/log/system.log`
  ]);
} catch (error) {
  // All processes are terminated when you press CTRL+C
}

// Works with streaming patterns too
try {
  for await (const chunk of $`ping 8.8.8.8`.stream()) {
    console.log(chunk);
    // Press CTRL+C to break the loop and stop the process
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.log('Streaming interrupted');
}

Signal Handling Behavior

  • 🎯 Smart Detection: Only forwards CTRL+C when child processes are active
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Non-Interference: Preserves user SIGINT handlers when no children running
  • ⚑ Interactive Commands: Commands like vim, less, top work with their own signal handling
  • πŸ”„ Process Groups: Detached spawning ensures proper signal isolation
  • 🧹 TTY Cleanup: Raw terminal mode properly restored on interruption
  • πŸ“Š Standard Exit Codes:
    • 130 - SIGINT interruption (CTRL+C)
    • 143 - SIGTERM termination (programmatic kill)
    • 137 - SIGKILL force termination

Command Resolution Priority

// Understanding how commands are resolved:

// 1. Virtual Commands (highest priority)
register('echo', () => ({ stdout: 'virtual!\n', code: 0 }));
await $`echo test`; // β†’ "virtual!"

// 2. Built-in Commands (if no virtual match)  
unregister('echo');
await $`echo test`; // β†’ Uses built-in echo

// 3. System Commands (if no built-in/virtual match)
await $`unknown-command`; // β†’ Uses system PATH lookup

// 4. Virtual Bypass (special case)
await $({ stdin: 'data' })`sleep 1`; // Bypasses virtual sleep, uses system sleep

Execution Patterns Deep Dive

When to Use Different Patterns

import { $ } from 'command-stream';

// βœ… Use await for simple command execution
const result = await $`ls -la`;

// βœ… Use .sync() when you need blocking execution with events
const syncCmd = $`build-script`
  .on('stdout', chunk => updateProgress(chunk))
  .sync(); // Events fire after completion

// βœ… Use .start() for non-blocking execution with real-time events  
const asyncCmd = $`long-running-server`
  .on('stdout', chunk => logOutput(chunk))
  .start(); // Events fire in real-time

// βœ… Use .stream() for processing large outputs efficiently
for await (const chunk of $`generate-big-file`.stream()) {
  processChunkInRealTime(chunk);
} // Memory efficient - processes chunks as they arrive

// βœ… Use EventEmitter pattern for complex workflows
$`deployment-script`
  .on('stdout', chunk => {
    if (chunk.toString().includes('ERROR')) {
      handleError(chunk);
    }
  })
  .on('stderr', chunk => logError(chunk))
  .on('end', result => {
    if (result.code === 0) {
      notifySuccess();
    }
  })
  .start();

Performance Considerations

// πŸš€ Memory Efficient: For large outputs, use streaming
for await (const chunk of $`cat huge-file.log`.stream()) {
  processChunk(chunk); // Processes incrementally
}

// 🐌 Memory Inefficient: Buffers entire output in memory
const result = await $`cat huge-file.log`;
processFile(result.stdout); // Loads everything into memory

// ⚑ Fastest: Sync execution for small, quick commands
const quickResult = $`pwd`.sync();

// πŸ”„ Best for UX: Async with events for long-running commands
$`npm install`
  .on('stdout', showProgress)
  .start();

Testing

# Run comprehensive test suite (270+ tests)
bun test

# Run tests with coverage report
bun test --coverage

# Run specific test categories
npm run test:features    # Feature comparison tests
npm run test:builtin     # Built-in commands tests  
npm run test:pipe        # .pipe() method tests
npm run test:sync        # Synchronous execution tests
npm run test:signal      # CTRL+C signal handling tests

Requirements

  • Bun: >= 1.0.0 (primary runtime)
  • Node.js: >= 20.0.0 (compatibility support)

Roadmap

πŸ”„ Coming Soon

  • TypeScript Support: Full .d.ts definitions and type safety
  • Enhanced Shell Options: set -u (nounset) and set -o pipefail support
  • More Built-in Commands: Additional cross-platform utilities

πŸ’‘ Planned Features

  • Performance Optimizations: Further Bun runtime optimizations
  • Advanced Error Handling: Enhanced error context and debugging
  • Plugin System: Extensible architecture for custom integrations

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Since command-stream is public domain software, your contributions will also be released into the public domain.

πŸš€ Getting Started

git clone https://github.com/link-foundation/command-stream.git
cd command-stream
bun install
bun test  # Run the full test suite

πŸ“‹ Development Guidelines

  • All features must have comprehensive tests
  • Built-in commands should match bash/sh behavior exactly
  • Maintain cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
  • Follow the existing code style and patterns

πŸ§ͺ Running Tests

bun test                    # All 266 tests
bun test tests/pipe.test.mjs # Specific test file
npm run test:builtin        # Built-in commands only

License - Our Biggest Advantage

The Unlicense (Public Domain)

Unlike other shell utilities that require attribution (MIT, Apache 2.0), command-stream is released into the public domain. This means:

  • βœ… No attribution required - Use it without crediting anyone
  • βœ… No license files to include - Simplify your distribution
  • βœ… No restrictions - Modify, sell, embed, whatever you want
  • βœ… No legal concerns - It's as free as code can be
  • βœ… Corporate friendly - No license compliance overhead

This makes command-stream ideal for:

  • Commercial products where license attribution is inconvenient
  • Embedded systems where every byte counts
  • Educational materials that can be freely shared
  • Internal tools without legal review requirements

"This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain."