create-grunt-tasks

Create Grunt tasks as a chain of sub-tasks

This module simplifies Grunt tasks creation and increases code readability and maintainability by eliminating the configuration mess.

Install

$ npm install create-grunt-tasks --save-dev

Usage

Start creating tasks by calling task() or tasks() methods. Method sub() can be used to configure a plug-in, set a task function or include another task. While creating multiple tasks, use for(), not() methods or pass factory function to sub() method for tuning tasks configuration.

Finally Gruntfile.js may look like this:

module.exports = function (grunt) {
    require('create-grunt-tasks')(grunt, function (create) {
    
        create.task('task1')                        // Create task "task1":
            .sub(function () { /* action */ })      // configure task function,
            .sub('plugin1', { /* options */ });     // configure plug-in "plugin1".
            
        create.tasks(['task2', 'task3', 'task4'])   // Create multiple tasks:
            .sub('plugin1', { /* options */ })      // same config for both tasks,
            .sub('plugin2', function (task) {
                var options = { /* options */ };
                if (task === 'task3') {             // configure specific options
                    options.prop = 'specific';      // for task "task3".
                }
                return options;
            })
            .for(                                   // Configure plug-in for
                ['task2', 'task4'],                 // "task2" and 'task4".
                'plugin3', { /* options */ }
            )
            .not(                                   // Configure plug-in
                'task2',                            // for all but "task2".
                'plugin1', { /* options */ }
            );
            
        create.task('complex-task')                 // Create task "complex-task":
            .sub('task1')                           // include task "task1",
            .sub('task2');                          // include task "task2".
            
    });
);

There is no need to call grunt.loadNpmTasks() as far as plug-in tasks are loaded using the load-grunt-tasks module. As soon as arguments are passed to create-grunt-tasks module it internally calls grunt.initConfig() and grunt.registerTask() methods.

Now run the created "complex-task" in the console:

$ grunt complex-task

Example

// Gruntfile.js
module.exports = function (grunt) {
    require('create-grunt-tasks')(grunt, function (create) {
    
        //--------------
        // RELEASE tasks
        //--------------
        
        create.tasks(['release', 'release-japan'])
            
            //
            // Copy HTML
            // (optionally edit content)
            
            .sub('copy', function (task) {                
                var config = {
                    src: 'src/index.html',
                    dest: 'build/'
                };
                if (task === 'release-japan') {
                    config.options = {
                        process: function (content) {
                            return content.replace('hello', 'konichiwa');
                        }
                    };
                }
                return config;
            })
            
            //
            // Compile TypeScript and move typing
            
            .sub('typescript', {
                src: 'src/index.ts',
                dest: 'build/index.js',
                options: { module: 'amd', target: 'es5', declaration: true }
            })
            .sub('copy', {
                src: 'build/index.d.ts', 
                dest: 'build/typing/' 
            })
            .sub('clean', ['build/index.d.ts'])
            
            //
            // Compile LESS
            
            .sub('less', {
                files: {
                    'build/style/style.css': 'src/style/style.less'
                },
                options: { paths: ['src/style/'] }
            })
            .sub('cssmin', {
                files: { 'build/style/style.css': ['build/style/style.css'] }
            })
            
            //
            // Start server
            
            .sub(function () {
                var done = this.async();
                require('http').createServer(function (req, res) {
                    res.end('Ready');
                    done();
                }).listen(1234);
            });
            
        //------------
        // DEBUG tasks
        //------------
        
        // Compile TypeScript
        create.task('debug-js')
            .sub('typescript', {
                src: 'src/index.ts',
                options: { target: 'es5', sourceMap: true }
            });
            
        // Compile LESS
        create.task('debug-css')
            .sub('less', {
                files: {
                    'src/style/style.css': 'src/style/style.less'
                },
                options: { paths: ['src/style/'] }
            });
            
        // Compile both TypeScript and LESS
        create.task('debug')
            .sub('debug-js')
            .sub('debug-css');
    });
}

This is equivalent to:

// Gruntfile.js
module.exports = function (grunt) {
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-copy');      // Add this for every
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-clean');     // newly installed plug-in :(
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-cssmin');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-less');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-typescript');
 
    grunt.initConfig({
        pkg: grunt.file.readJSON('package.json'),
        clean: {
            movedTyping: ['build/index.d.ts']
        },
        copy: {
            typing: {
                src: 'build/index.d.ts', 
                dest: 'build/typing/' 
            },
            html: {
                src: 'src/index.html',             // Some options...
                dest: 'build/' 
            },
            htmlJapan: {
                src: 'src/index.html',             // are repeated :(
                dest: 'build/',
                options: {
                    process: function (content) {
                        return content.replace('hello', 'konichiwa');
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        cssmin: {
            release: {
                files: { 'build/style/style.css': ['build/style/style.css'] }
            }
        },
        less: {
            release: {
                files: {
                    'build/style/style.css': 'src/style/style.less'
                },
                options: { paths: ['src/style/'] }
            },
            debug: {
                files: {
                    'src/style/style.css': 'src/style/style.less'
                },
                options: { paths: ['src/style/'] }
            }
        }
        typescript: {
            release: {
                src: 'src/index.ts',
                dest: 'build/index.js',
                options: { module: 'amd', target: 'es5', declaration: true }
            }
            debug: {
                src: 'src/index.ts',
                dest: 'build/index.js',
                options: { module: 'amd', target: 'es5', sourceMap: true }
            }
        }
    });
    
    grunt.registerTask('server-start', function () {
        var done = this.async();
        require('http').createServer(function (req, res) {
            res.end('Ready');
            done();
        }).listen(1234);
    });
 
    //--------------
    // RELEASE tasks
    //--------------
    
    grunt.registerTask('release', [
        // Compile TypeScript and move typing
        'typescript:release',
        'copy:typing',
        'clean:movedTyping',
        
        // Compile LESS
        'less:release',
        'cssmin:release',
 
        // Copy HTML
        'copy:html'
        
        // Start server
        'server-start'
    ]);
    
    grunt.registerTask('release-japan', [
        // Compile TypeScript and move typing
        'typescript:release',
        'copy:typing',                    // Absolutely the same config
        'clean:movedTyping',              // as for previous task...
        
        // Compile LESS
        'less:release',
        'cssmin:release',
 
        // Copy HTML and edit content
        'copy:htmlJapan'                  // the difference in one line :(
        
        // Start server
        'server-start'                    // Need to search for configuration
    ]);                                   // in another place :(
    
    //------------
    // DEBUG tasks
    //------------
    
    // Compile TypeScript
    grunt.registerTask('debug-js', [
        'typescript:debug'
    ]);
    
    // Compile LESS
    grunt.registerTask('debug-css', [
        'less:debug'
    ]);
    
    // Compile both TypeScript and LESS
    grunt.registerTask('debug', [
        'debug-js',
        'debug-css'
    ]);
}

Does your Gruntfile look like this mess? Then use create-grunt-tasks plug-in to clean it up.

Changelog

0.8.0

• Register multiple tasks using tasks() method.
• Pass factory function to sub() method for customizing plug-in options depending on task.
• Added for() method for configuring optional sub-task for specified tasks.
• Added not() method for configuring optional sub-task for all tasks excluding specified.

0.7.1

• Pass function to sub() method for registering a task function.
• Pass task name to sub() method to include another task.
• other() method is obsolete.

0.6.2

• Added other(taskName) method for registering tasks that contain other tasks.

0.5.0

• Released.