esbuild-plus

0.3.4 verified Fri May 01 auth: no javascript maintenance

Minimal zero-dependency esbuild development environment with live reload. Current version 0.3.4. Provides a CLI tool (ebp) for development server and production builds using esbuild. Convention-over-configuration folder structure (static/, src/, target/). Includes global IS_DEV flag, IIFE support, and static file copying. Not actively maintained (last release 2021). Smaller alternative to full bundler setups like webpack or Vite for esbuild-based projects.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'esbuild' ↓

cause esbuild peer dependency not installed.

fix

Run: npm i -D esbuild

error Command 'ebp' not found ↓

cause npx not used or path not set.

fix

Use: npx ebp or add to scripts in package.json.

error IS_DEV is not defined ↓

cause IS_DEV global not available without --dev flag.

fix

Run with --dev: npx ebp --dev

error TypeError: ebp.runDev is not a function ↓

cause Attempted to use programmatic API, but no such API exists.

fix

Use CLI via npx; there is no programmatic API.

Warnings

gotcha The --dev flag must be used to enable live reload; without it, the command bundles for production and exits. ↓

fix Add --dev when you want a development server with live reload.

gotcha The package requires esbuild as a peer dependency but does not install it automatically. ↓

fix Run npm i -D esbuild alongside esbuild-plus.

gotcha IS_DEV is a global variable, not an import; TypeScript users must declare it (declare var IS_DEV: boolean;). ↓

fix Add a global type declaration file.

breaking In v0.2.0, the dev server was replaced with a custom server (was previously using esbuild's serve). ↓

fix Update your workflow if you relied on old server behavior.

gotcha Static files are only copied on initial start; changes to static/ may not be hot-reloaded. ↓

fix Upgrade to v0.3.2+ for improved static syncing.

Install

npm install esbuild-plus

yarn add esbuild-plus

pnpm add esbuild-plus

Imports

CLI command
wrong
```
npm run ebp
```
correct
```
npx ebp
```
The package exposes a bin script named 'ebp', not a programmatic API. Use npx or add script in package.json.
programmatic usage
No programmatic API is exported. The package only provides CLI.
IS_DEV global
wrong
```
import { IS_DEV } from 'esbuild-plus'
```
correct
```
if (IS_DEV) { ... }
```
IS_DEV is a global variable injected at build time, not an import. It is available in bundled code when running with --dev.

Quickstart

Initialize a new project, install dependencies, create minimal files, and start the dev server at localhost:3000.

npm init -y
npm i -D esbuild esbuild-plus
mkdir -p static src
echo '<script src="/main.js"></script>' > static/index.html
echo 'console.log("Hello esbuild-plus");' > src/main.js
npx ebp --dev