Node.js Guide 10: Essential Command-Line Options Every Node.js Developer Should Know

Node.js offers a wide range of command-line options that can significantly enhance your development workflow and debugging capabilities. Understanding these options can help you optimize performance, troubleshoot issues, and leverage advanced features. In this guide, we'll explore some of the most essential command-line options every Node.js developer should know.

1. node -v or node --version

Displays the current version of Node.js installed on your system.

```bash

node -v

```

2. node -e or node --eval

Allows you to evaluate JavaScript code from the command line without creating a script file.

```bash

node -e "console.log('Hello, World!')"

```

3. node -r or node --require

Preloads modules before executing the main script. This is useful for loading libraries or setting up global configurations.

```bash

node -r dotenv/config your-script.js

```

4. node --inspect

Enables the Node.js inspector, allowing you to debug your application using Chrome DevTools or other compatible tools.

```bash

node --inspect your-script.js

```

5. node --inspect-brk

Enables the Node.js inspector and pauses execution at the first line of the script, allowing you to set breakpoints before the code runs.

```bash

node --inspect-brk your-script.js

```

6. node --max-old-space-size

Sets the maximum memory limit for the V8 JavaScript engine. This is useful for applications that require more memory than the default limit.

```bash

node --max-old-space-size=4096 your-script.js

```

7. node --trace-deprecation

Prints stack traces for deprecated API usage, helping you identify and fix deprecated code in your application.

```bash

node --trace-deprecation your-script.js

```

8. node --trace-warnings

Prints stack traces for all warnings, not just deprecations. This helps in identifying potential issues in your code.

```bash

node --trace-warnings your-script.js

```

9. node --experimental-modules

Enables support for ECMAScript modules (ESM). This is useful for using the latest JavaScript module syntax in your Node.js applications.

```bash

node --experimental-modules your-script.mjs

```

10. node --prof

Generates a V8 CPU profile that can be used to analyze performance bottlenecks in your application.

```bash

node --prof your-script.js

```

11. node --zero-fill-buffers

Fills all newly allocated Buffer instances with zeroes. This can help prevent uninitialized memory usage issues.

```bash

node --zero-fill-buffers your-script.js

```

12. node --unhandled-rejections

Specifies how unhandled promise rejections are handled. Options include strict, warn, and none.

```bash

node --unhandled-rejections=strict your-script.js

```

13. node --harmony

Enables all staged features of the V8 engine, allowing you to use upcoming JavaScript features that are not yet part of the standard.

```bash

node --harmony your-script.js

```

14. node --abort-on-uncaught-exception

Aborts the process when an uncaught exception occurs, useful for debugging.

```bash

node --abort-on-uncaught-exception your-script.js

```

15. node --no-deprecation

Disables all deprecation warnings, useful in production environments where such warnings are not desired.

```bash

node --no-deprecation your-script.js

```

Conclusion

Familiarizing yourself with these essential command-line options can greatly enhance your Node.js development workflow, enabling you to debug more effectively, optimize performance, and use advanced features. By leveraging these options, you can improve the quality and efficiency of your Node.js applications.

Stay tuned for the next part of our Node.js Guide series, where we’ll explore advanced console logging techniques in Node.js.

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