rollup-plugin-watch-external

1.0.2 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no javascript

Rollup plugin to add additional files (e.g., assets, configs) to Rollup's watch list. Version 1.0.2 requires Rollup ^2.39.0. Minimal API: one option `entries` (array of glob patterns). Does not handle incremental rebuilds; simply triggers rebuild on changes to specified files. For a more feature-rich alternative, consider @rollup/plugin-watch or custom chokidar integration.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'rollup-plugin-watch-external' ↓

cause Package not installed or not in node_modules.

fix

Run npm install rollup-plugin-watch-external --save-dev or yarn add -D rollup-plugin-watch-external.

error TypeError: watchExternal is not a function ↓

cause Using default import instead of named import.

fix

Change to import { watchExternal } from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external'.

error Error: Rollup version mismatch: expected >=2.39.0, got 2.20.0 ↓

cause Installed Rollup version is too old.

fix

Update Rollup: npm install rollup@latest --save-dev.

Warnings

breaking Package requires Rollup ^2.39.0; incompatible with Rollup 1.x or early 2.x releases. ↓

fix Upgrade Rollup to at least 2.39.0 or use a different watch plugin.

gotcha The `entries` option uses glob patterns; if no files match, the plugin still adds the pattern but may not trigger builds. Ensure globs match existing files. ↓

fix Test your glob patterns (e.g., with `glob` package) before adding to plugin options.

Install

npm install rollup-plugin-watch-external

yarn add rollup-plugin-watch-external

pnpm add rollup-plugin-watch-external

Imports

watchExternal

wrong

import watchExternal from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external'

correct

import { watchExternal } from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external'

This package exports a named function, not a default export.

watchExternal

wrong

const watchExternal = require('rollup-plugin-watch-external')

correct

const { watchExternal } = require('rollup-plugin-watch-external')

CommonJS require should use destructuring to get the named export.

watchExternal

wrong

import * as watchExternal from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external'

correct

import { watchExternal } from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external'

Do not use namespace import; the module only has a named export.

Quickstart

Shows basic setup with named import, glob patterns for JS and JSON files in watch list.

// rollup.config.js
import { watchExternal } from 'rollup-plugin-watch-external';

export default {
  input: 'src/index.js',
  output: {
    file: 'dist/bundle.js',
    format: 'iife'
  },
  plugins: [
    watchExternal({
      entries: ['public/**.js', 'data/*.json']
    })
  ]
};