Five Server

Common errors

• TypeError: FiveServer is not a constructor

  cause Attempting to instantiate `FiveServer` in CommonJS by directly requiring the package without accessing its default export (e.g., `require('five-server')`).
  fix Correct the import to `const FiveServer = require('five-server').default;`

• SyntaxError: Named export 'FiveServer' not found. The requested module 'five-server' does not provide an export named 'FiveServer'

  cause Incorrectly using a named import for a default export, or attempting `import FiveServer from 'five-server'` in a Node.js ESM environment where the direct root import might not resolve correctly.
  fix Use the explicit ESM path: `import FiveServer from 'five-server/esm.mjs';` or fall back to: `import pkg from 'five-server'; const { default: FiveServer } = pkg;`

• Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::8080

  cause Another process on your system is already using the port that Five Server is trying to bind to (e.g., port 8080).
  fix Change the port number in your configuration (e.g., `five-server --port 8081` in CLI, or `{ port: 8081 }` in your programmatic options) or identify and terminate the conflicting process.

Warnings

• breaking Five Server is a complete rewrite and maintained fork of `live-server`. Migrating from `live-server` requires uninstalling the old package (`npm -g rm live-server`) and installing `five-server`. The API for programmatic usage has changed significantly.
  Fix: Uninstall `live-server` globally and install `five-server`. Review the new API for programmatic usage and configuration options.
• gotcha Advanced features like 'Instant Updates', 'Highlights', and 'Auto Navigation' are exclusively available through the Five Server VSCode Extension, not via the standalone CLI or programmatic API.
  Fix: Install the Five Server VSCode Extension (`yandeu.five-server`) to utilize these editor-integrated functionalities.
• breaking Five Server requires Node.js version 16 or higher. Older Node.js versions are not supported, and attempting to run it on unsupported versions will result in errors.
  Fix: Upgrade your Node.js environment to version 16 or newer using a version manager like `nvm` or `fnm`.
• gotcha Due to varied module resolver behaviors across JavaScript environments, explicit import paths or `.default` access might be required for programmatic usage in Node.js ESM or CommonJS. Simply importing from 'five-server' might not always work directly.
  Fix: For Node.js ESM, use `import FiveServer from 'five-server/esm.mjs'`. For CommonJS, use `const FiveServer = require('five-server').default`.

Install

• npm install five-server npm
• yarn add five-server yarn
• pnpm add five-server pnpm

Imports

• FiveServer
  wrong:

  const FiveServer = require('five-server')

  correct:

  import FiveServer from 'five-server'

  Default ESM import for TypeScript projects or modern browser environments.
• FiveServer
  wrong:

  import FiveServer from 'five-server'

  correct:

  import FiveServer from 'five-server/esm.mjs'

  Explicit ESM import path for Node.js module environments to ensure correct resolution without relying on package.json 'exports'.
• FiveServer
  wrong:

  const FiveServer = require('five-server')

  correct:

  const FiveServer = require('five-server').default

  CommonJS import requires `.default` due to ESM interoperability and how the package is bundled.

Quickstart

Demonstrates how to programmatically start Five Server, serving a specific directory on a custom port with live reload, without automatically opening a browser. Includes setup for a test 'public' folder.

import FiveServer from 'five-server';
import path from 'path';
import fs from 'fs';

// Create a dummy 'public' directory and an index.html file for demonstration
const publicDir = path.join(process.cwd(), 'public');
if (!fs.existsSync(publicDir)) {
  fs.mkdirSync(publicDir, { recursive: true });
}
fs.writeFileSync(path.join(publicDir, 'index.html'), '<h1>Hello Five Server!</h1><p>Watch me reload.</p>', 'utf8');

// Example: Serve the 'public' directory on port 8080 without opening a browser automatically.
const server = new FiveServer();
server.start({
  port: 8080,
  root: publicDir, // Set the document root to the 'public' directory
  open: false, // Do not open browser automatically
  watch: true, // Enable live reload
  dir: publicDir // Ensure 'dir' is also set for correct root behavior
}).then(() => {
  console.log('Five Server started on http://localhost:8080');
  console.log(`Watching for changes in: ${publicDir}`);
  console.log('Open your browser to http://localhost:8080');
}).catch(err => {
  console.error('Failed to start Five Server:', err);
});