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Apr 29, 2025
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docs(core): add continuous task to task pipeline and project config pages #30919

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docs(core): add continuous task to task pipeline and project config p…
jaysoo Apr 29, 2025
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docs(misc): update PDV data for docs to include continuous option
jaysoo Apr 29, 2025
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docs(misc): update continuous config to mention "long-running" proces…
jaysoo Apr 29, 2025
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6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/shared/concepts/myreactapp.json
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Expand Up @@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
"serve": {
"options": {
"cwd": "apps/myreactapp",
"command": "vite serve"
"command": "vite serve",
"continuous": true
},
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
"configurations": {},
Expand All @@ -51,7 +52,8 @@
"serve-static": {
"executor": "@nx/web:file-server",
"options": {
"buildTarget": "build"
"buildTarget": "build",
"continuous": true
},
"configurations": {}
},
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6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/shared/migration/adding-to-existing-project.md
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Expand Up @@ -169,7 +169,8 @@ nx show project my-workspace --web
"dev": {
"options": {
"cwd": ".",
"command": "next dev"
"command": "next dev",
"continuous": true
},
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
"configurations": {},
Expand All @@ -180,7 +181,8 @@ nx show project my-workspace --web
"start": {
"options": {
"cwd": ".",
"command": "next start"
"command": "next start",
"continuous": true
},
"dependsOn": ["build"],
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
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6 changes: 4 additions & 2 deletions docs/shared/migration/adding-to-monorepo.md
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Expand Up @@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ nx show project my-workspace --web
"dev": {
"options": {
"cwd": ".",
"command": "next dev"
"command": "next dev",
"continuous": true
},
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
"configurations": {},
Expand All @@ -176,7 +177,8 @@ nx show project my-workspace --web
"start": {
"options": {
"cwd": ".",
"command": "next start"
"command": "next start",
"continuous": true
},
"dependsOn": ["build"],
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
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3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion docs/shared/recipes/running-tasks/convert-to-inferred.md
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Expand Up @@ -84,7 +84,8 @@ For example, if we migrated the `@nx/vite` plugin for a single app (i.e. `nx g @
"serve": {
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
"options": {
"command": "vite dev"
"command": "vite dev",
"continuous": true
}
},
"build": {
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18 changes: 17 additions & 1 deletion docs/shared/recipes/running-tasks/defining-task-pipeline.md
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Expand Up @@ -87,7 +87,23 @@ Or they can be [defined per-project](/reference/project-configuration#dependson)
{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

## Visualize task dependencies
## Continuous Task Dependencies

If a task has a dependency that never exits, then the task will never start. To support this scenario, you can mark the dependency as a [continuous task](/reference/project-configuration#continuous). Labeling a task as continuous tells Nx to not wait for the process to exit, and it will be run alongside its dependents.

```json {% fileName="apps/myapp/project.json" %}
{
"targets": {
"serve": {
"continuous": true
}
}
}
```

The `continuous` option is most useful for running development servers. For example, the `e2e` task depends on a continuous `serve` task that starts the server to be tested againts.

## Visualize Task Dependencies

You can also visualize the actual task graph (alongside the projects) using [Nx graph](/features/explore-graph). This can be useful for debugging purposes.

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133 changes: 35 additions & 98 deletions docs/shared/reference/project-configuration.md
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Expand Up @@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ nx show project myproject --web
"dev": {
"executor": "nx:run-commands",
"options": {
"command": "vite dev"
"command": "vite dev",
"continuous": true
},
"metadata": {
"technologies": ["vite"]
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -365,10 +366,14 @@ instance, `"dependsOn": ["build"]` of
the `test` target tells Nx that before it can test `mylib` it needs to make sure that `mylib` is built, which will
result in `mylib`'s dependencies being built as well.

{% callout type="note" title="Dependencies that do not exit" %}
If you specify a task in `dependsOn` that never exits, then the dependent task will never start. Label such dependencies as [continuous](#continuous) tasks, which tells Nx to not wait for the process to end before starting the dependent task.
{% /callout %}

You can also express task dependencies with an object syntax:

{% tabs %}
{% tab label="Version 16+ (self)" %}
{% tab label="Dependencies on self" %}

```json
{
Expand All @@ -386,7 +391,7 @@ You can also express task dependencies with an object syntax:
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version 16+ (dependencies)" %}
{% tab label="Dependencies on other projects" %}

```json
{
Expand All @@ -405,7 +410,7 @@ You can also express task dependencies with an object syntax:
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version 16+ (specific projects)" %}
{% tab label="Dependencies on specific projects" %}

```json
{
Expand All @@ -423,25 +428,6 @@ You can also express task dependencies with an object syntax:
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version < 16" %}

```json
{
"targets": {
"build": {
"dependsOn": [
{
"projects": "dependencies", // "dependencies" or "self"
"target": "build", // target name
"params": "ignore" // "forward" or "ignore", defaults to "ignore"
}
]
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -470,9 +456,6 @@ Starting from v19.5.0, wildcards can be used to define dependencies in the `depe

You can write the shorthand configuration above in the object syntax like this:

{% tabs %}
{% tab label="Version 16+" %}

```json
{
"targets": {
Expand All @@ -486,30 +469,8 @@ You can write the shorthand configuration above in the object syntax like this:
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version < 16" %}

```json
{
"targets": {
"build": {
"dependsOn": [{ "projects": "dependencies", "target": "build" }]
},
"test": {
"dependsOn": [{ "projects": "self", "target": "build" }]
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

With the expanded syntax, you also have a third option available to configure how to handle the params passed to the target. You can either forward them or you can ignore them (default).

{% tabs %}
{% tab label="Version 16+" %}

```json
{
"targets": {
Expand All @@ -533,94 +494,70 @@ With the expanded syntax, you also have a third option available to configure ho
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version < 16" %}
This also works when defining a relation for the target of the project itself using `"projects": "self"`:

```json
{
"targets": {
"build": {
// forward params passed to this target to the dependency targets
"dependsOn": [
{ "projects": "dependencies", "target": "build", "params": "forward" }
]
},
"test": {
// ignore params passed to this target, won't be forwarded to the dependency targets
"dependsOn": [
{ "projects": "dependencies", "target": "build", "params": "ignore" }
]
},
"lint": {
// ignore params passed to this target, won't be forwarded to the dependency targets
"dependsOn": [{ "projects": "dependencies", "target": "build" }]
// forward params passed to this target to the project target
"dependsOn": [{ "target": "pre-build", "params": "forward" }]
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

This also works when defining a relation for the target of the project itself using `"projects": "self"`:

{% tabs %}
{% tab label="Version 16+" %}
Additionally, when using the expanded object syntax, you can specify individual projects in version 16 or greater.

```json
{
"targets": {
"build": {
// forward params passed to this target to the project target
"dependsOn": [{ "target": "pre-build", "params": "forward" }]
// Run is-even:pre-build and is-odd:pre-build before this target
"dependsOn": [
{ "projects": ["is-even", "is-odd"], "target": "pre-build" }
]
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% tab label="Version < 16" %}
This configuration is usually not needed. Nx comes with reasonable defaults (imported in `nx.json`) which implement the
configuration above.

```json
### Continuous

In Nx 21+, tasks that never exit (sometimes called long-running processes) can be configured with `"continuous": true` to prevent their dependent tasks from waiting for task completion. For example, the `e2e` task depends on a continuous `serve` task to ensure that the development server is running.

In this example, application's configuration labels the `serve` task as continuous.

```json {% fileName="apps/myapp/project.json" %}
{
"targets": {
"build": {
// forward params passed to this target to the project target
"dependsOn": [
{ "projects": "self", "target": "pre-build", "params": "forward" }
]
"serve": {
"continuous": true
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

Additionally, when using the expanded object syntax, you can specify individual projects in version 16 or greater.

{% tabs %}
{% tab label="Version 16+" %}
And the E2E project's `e2e` task has a dependency on the `serve` task, which ensures that the server is running when we run the `e2e` task.

```json
```json {% fileName="apps/myapp-e2e/project.json" %}
{
"targets": {
"build": {
// Run is-even:pre-build and is-odd:pre-build before this target
"e2e": {
"dependsOn": [
{ "projects": ["is-even", "is-odd"], "target": "pre-build" }
{
"projects": "myapp",
"target": "serve"
}
]
}
}
}
```

{% /tab %}
{% /tabs %}

This configuration is usually not needed. Nx comes with reasonable defaults (imported in `nx.json`) which implement the
configuration above.

### Sync Generators

In the same way that `dependsOn` tells Nx to run another task before running this task, the `syncGenerator` property tells Nx to run a generator to ensure that your files are in the correct state before this task is run. [Sync generators](/concepts/sync-generators) are especially useful for keeping configuration files up to date with the project graph. Sync generators are available in Nx 19.8+.
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