Add instructions if you run npm start

[frankieroberto]

Currently if you run npm start, which is the common default start command for Node.js apps, then in the console you don’t see any messages and it looks like nothing is working. However it is working, just on the uncommon default port of 2000 (set in config.js).

This confused me and several others at first. The guidance to use npm run watch has since been added to the README but is easily missed.

This change aims to further help, by adding a console message saying:

Running at http://localhost:2000/

If you are working on this prototype now, press Control-C to stop the server and
type npm run watch instead to run the prototype in development mode.

This message is not shown when running npm run watch, as there the BrowserSync service will display the proxied localhost port to view the prototype on.

[joelanman]

this is our version in case it's helpful

https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit/blob/main/bin/cli#L194C1-L208C2

[frankieroberto]

@joelanman

this is our version in case it's helpful

https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit/blob/main/bin/cli#L194C1-L208C2

Oh that’s nice! I didn’t think to suppress it when NODE_ENV=production - will do that.

Will switch to console.warn too.

[frankieroberto]

@edwardhorsford @vickytnz does this seem sensible to you? should help anyone who runs npm start and then wonders if the kit is hanging...

[vickytnz]

I think the GOV.UK version is clearer as it makes it an actual warning?

This version confuses me as it has information I don't understand (like does node start mean i'm not running it in development mode? ):

if (
  process.env.WATCH !== 'true' // If the user isn’t running watch
  && process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production' // and it’s not in production mode
) {
  console.info(`Running at http://localhost:${port}/`); // eslint-disable-line no-console
  console.warn('\x1b[36m \nIf you are working on this prototype now, press Control-c to stop the server and \ntype \x1b[34mnpm run watch\x1b[36m instead to run the prototype in development mode.\x1b[0m'); // eslint-disable-line no-console
}

Not sure if it needs Control+C, if so, a better version is to take the GOV.UK prototype kit version and then add 'Enter CTRL+C and ' making it

  ) {
    console.warn('Warning: It looks like you may have run the command `npm start` locally.')
    console.warn('Enter `CTRL+C` and then try running `npm run watch`')
    console.warn()
    console.warn('If you see the above warning when trying to host your prototype online,')
    console.warn('it may be that your hosting service needs further configuration.')
    console.warn()
  }

EDIT: oh wait, I understand that this is more of a generic catch - right now it just gives me errors if I do it wrong anyway (so much muscle memory for npm run dev) - but if this is about stopping the accidental npm start then i think it is better to be clear?

[frankieroberto]

@vickytnz yeah this about stopping accidental npm start - which does work but just runs on an unexpected default port and doesn’t tell you which one. 🤦‍♂️

[frankieroberto]

@vickytnz I’ve updated the text so that it now says this, which is a bit simpler:

I’ve not included the bit about "it may be that your hosting service needs further configuration." as that should be unlikely - you’d have to have manually configured the host to use npm run watch or gulp as I don’t think it’s likely to default to that.

[frankieroberto]

(I also removed the colours for now, even though they might make it slightly easier to read)

[vickytnz]

Run locally, works as expected