How to run node.js app by grunt?

Question

Folder structure:-

myapp

--public(directory) //here files which related to public(Angularjs,css,etc)

--server(directory) //here files which related to server

--server.js

Code

server.js //at root directory
----------------------
...
var app = express();
app.disable('x-powered-by');

app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({
    extended: true
}));
app.use(bodyParser.json());

app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public')); // set the static files location
app.use('/profilepic', express.static(__dirname + '/uploads/profilepic')); // set the static files location
app.use('/company', express.static(__dirname + '/uploads/company'));
app.use('/download', express.static(__dirname + '/uploads/download'));
app.use(morgan('dev'));

app.use(cookieParser());
app.use(expressSession({
    secret: 'secret',
    resave: true,
    saveUninitialized: false
}));

app.use(passport.initialize());
app.use(passport.session());
require('./server/config/passport')(app, passport);
require('./server/route')(app, passport);
app.use(flash());
if (config.env === 'development') {

    app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
        console.log(err);
        return res.status(500).json({ message: err.message });
    });

}

app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
    return res.status(500).json({ message: err.message });
});


app.listen(config.port, function() {
    console.log('app listen on ' + config.port);
});





Gruntfile.js //at root directory
-----------------
module.exports = function(grunt) {

    // Project configuration.
    grunt.initConfig({
        pkg: grunt.file.readJSON('package.json'),
        jshint: {
            options: {
                reporter: require('jshint-stylish') // use jshint-stylish to make our errors look and read good
            },

            // when this task is run, lint the Gruntfile and all js files in src
            build: ['Grunfile.js', './']
        },
        ngAnnotate: {
            options: {
                singleQuotes: true
            },
            app: {
                files: {
                    './dist/min-safe/services.js': ['./public/scripts/services/*.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/filters.js': ['./public/scripts/filters/*.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/directives.js': ['./public/scripts/directives/*.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/controllers.js': ['./public/scripts/controllers/*.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/app.ctrl.js': ['./public/scripts/app.ctrl.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/config.router.js': ['./public/scripts/config.router.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/config.lazyload.js': ['./public/scripts/config.lazyload.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/config.js': ['./public/scripts/config.js'],
                    './dist/min-safe/app.js': ['./public/scripts/app.js']
                }
            }
        },
        concat: {
            js: { //target
                src: ['./dist/min-safe/app.js', './dist/min-safe/config.js',
                    './dist/min-safe/config.lazyload.js', './dist/min-safe/config.router.js',
                    './dist/min-safe/app.ctrl.js', './dist/min-safe/controllers.js',
                    './dist/min-safe/directives.js', './dist/min-safe/filters.js', './dist/min-safe/services.js'
                ],
                dest: './dist/min/lms.js'
            }
        },
        copy: {
            main: {
                expand: true,
                src: './dist/min/lms.js',
                dest: './public',
                flatten: true,
                filter: 'isFile'
            }
        },
        connect: {
            options: {
                base: 'xxxxxxxx',
                keepalive: true
            }
        },

    });

    // Load the plugin that provides the "uglify" task.
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-concat');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-uglify');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-ng-annotate');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-connect');
    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-copy');

    // Default task(s).
    grunt.registerTask('default', ['ngAnnotate', 'concat', 'copy']);
    grunt.registerTask('server', ['default', 'connect']);
    grunt.registerTask('jshint', ['jshint']);

};

I run app by node server.js but now i want to run this app by grunt and when i run grunt server the it throw No "connect" targets found error.

How to configure grunt file to run app?

Answer 1

When i run grunt server the it throw No "connect" targets found error. How to configure grunt file to run app?

In your Gruntfile.js update the connect Task to include a Target as follows:

// ...
connect: {
    server: { // <-- This is a Target named 'server'.
        options: {
            // <-- Your connect options go here.
            //     https://github.com/gruntjs/grunt-contrib-connect#options
        }
    }
}

Next update your grunt.registered.Task() named server to this:

grunt.registerTask('server', ['default', 'connect:server']);

Note: Instead of aliasing the connect Task in the taskList Array it now references the server Target in the connect Task using the syntax 'connect:server'

See Creating Tasks for further information regarding grunt.registered.Task().

---

EDIT

Updated based on feedback in the comments and edit made to original post/question:

Assuming that running $ node server.js via your CLI works as expected you can run the same command via grunt.

1. Uninstall grunt-contrib-connect by running:

$ npm un -D grunt-contrib-connect

2. Delete line of code reading grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-connect'); from Gruntfile.js

3. Delete the connect Task from Gruntfile.js

4. Run the following to install load-grunt-tasks and grunt-shell:

npm i -D load-grunt-tasks grunt-shell

5. Add the following Task to Gruntfile.js:

// ...
shell: {
    connect: {
        command: 'node server.js'
    }
}
// ...

6. Change the current grunt.registerTask() to:

grunt.registerTask('server', ['default', 'shell:connect']);

7. Add the following line of code to Gruntfile.js:

require('load-grunt-tasks')(grunt);

8. Run $ grunt server and visit localhost:3000