esbuild-plugin-output-reset

2.0.2 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript

ESBuild plugin that automatically clears the output directory before each build, ensuring a clean build state by removing old files. Version 2.0.2 is the current stable release, with no recent updates. It is a lightweight, single-purpose plugin that integrates seamlessly with ESBuild's plugin system. Unlike manual cleanup scripts, it runs as part of the ESBuild build process and respects the configured outdir or outfile paths. Ships with TypeScript type definitions.

Common errors

error TypeError: clear is not a function ↓

cause Using named import instead of default import in ES module context.

fix

Change import { clear } from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset' to import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'.

error Error: The plugin 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset' must be a function, object, or a promise resolving to one. ↓

cause In older ESBuild versions (<0.17), plugins needed to be objects. The plugin is a function that returns an object.

fix

Upgrade esbuild to version 0.17 or later.

error Error: Cannot find module 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset' ↓

cause Package not installed or not in node_modules.

fix

Run npm install esbuild-plugin-output-reset --save-dev (or your package manager equivalent).

Warnings

gotcha The plugin deletes the entire output directory specified by outdir or outfile's parent directory. If you have other important files in that directory, they will be removed. ↓

fix Ensure the output directory is dedicated solely to the build output.

gotcha The plugin will not work if both outdir and outfile are undefined; it will throw an error as there is no output path to reset. ↓

fix Always specify either outdir or outfile in your ESBuild options.

breaking In version 2.0.0, the plugin changed to be an async function that returns a plugin object. Previously it was a direct plugin object. ↓

fix If using older version, update the import and usage: the plugin is now used as import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset' and passed directly to plugins array.

deprecated Version 1.x used a named export 'clear'. In version 2.x it was replaced with a default export. ↓

fix Switch to default import: import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'.

Install

npm install esbuild-plugin-output-reset

yarn add esbuild-plugin-output-reset

pnpm add esbuild-plugin-output-reset

Imports

clear

wrong

import { clear } from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'

correct

import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'

This package uses a default export. Named import will result in undefined.

esbuild-plugin-output-reset (CJS)

wrong

const clear = require('esbuild-plugin-output-reset')

correct

const clear = require('esbuild-plugin-output-reset').default

In CommonJS, the default export is accessed via .default.

TypeScript (default import)
wrong
```
import * as clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'
```
correct
```
import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset'
```
TypeScript users should use default import; star import will give a module namespace object.

Quickstart

Shows the minimal setup to use the plugin with ESBuild's build API, cleaning the dist folder before each build.

import esbuild from 'esbuild';
import clear from 'esbuild-plugin-output-reset';

await esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['./src/index.js'],
  bundle: true,
  outdir: './dist',
  plugins: [clear],
});