A way to use shell functions

[kqvanity]

• nodemon -v: 2.0.20
• node -v: v18.9.1
• Operating system/terminal environment: Elementary OS 6.1 w/ Terminal
• Using Docker? What image: Nope
• Command you ran: nodemon javaFile.java

Expected behaviour

Nodemon to execute a shell function that compile a java file named passed to it, then the functions also runs the resulting class file with its filename truncated (i.e. excluding the .class file extension]. It would be really useful if such a feature of having the file name passed have a respective placeholder at the json file, for other manipulations. I usually use temporary source files without build systems or single makes files to carry the heavy lifting.

javab()
{
   local javafile="$1";
   javac ${javafile} && java $javafile%.*}
}

Actual behaviour

An error stating that

[nodemon] 2.0.20
[nodemon] to restart at any time, enter `rs`
[nodemon] watching path(s): *.*
[nodemon] watching extensions: java,json
[nodemon] starting `javab Animal.java`
sh: 1: javab: not found
[nodemon] failed to start process, "javab" exec not found
[nodemon] Error
    at Bus.<anonymous> (/home/hostmachine/.local/lib/node_modules/nodemon/lib/nodemon.js:158:25)
    at Bus.emit (node:events:539:35)
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/hostmachine/.local/lib/node_modules/nodemon/lib/monitor/run.js:190:11)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:527:28)
    at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:291:12)

Also specifying bash -c java in ~/nodemon.json results in a similar error.

Steps to reproduce

Have a shell function, then try to assign it to a file extension in the ~/nodemon.json file. Try to run a java file afterwards, and it won't work.

[remy]

This is a feature of your shell, not nodemon. In that a new (sub) shell session doesn't inherit your functions.

This can be tested by writing a vanilla shell script - you'll find you can't call your javab function.

I can't remember how you get around it, but I'd start looking there.

[kqvanity]

This is a feature of your shell, not nodemon. In that a new (sub) shell session doesn't inherit your functions.

I did export the function using export -f javab after defining it, so that other child process including subshells can read it. I've also tried spawning one from within the shell session, and it did work with them.

[remy]

Can you share the node script you used to spawn to then call your function? I can use it for my own test and if it's something that's fixable, I'll reopen this ticket and see what we can do.

[kqvanity]

Can you share the node script you used to spawn to then call your function?

I haven't used one at all. I've just defined the function & exported it at my bashrc. Invoked another shell session, then attempted to issue the function from within the initial shell, then a child one, and it worked in both cases.

~/.bashrc entails

function javab(){
   local javafile="$1";
   javac ${javafile} && java $javafile%.*}
} && export -f javab

~/nodemon.json

{
  "execMap": {
    "java": "bash -c javab",
  }
}

node script

const { spawn } = require('node:child_process')
spawn('bash', ['-c', 'javab VariableTypes.java']).stdout
    .on('data', (data) => {
        console.log(data.toString())
    })