Run Scripts

Run package.json scripts by pattern in sequential or parallel mode with no extra dependencies.

Summary

The run-scripts command reads the scripts field from the nearest package.json, matches script names by a prefix pattern (e.g., build:*), and runs them either sequentially (stopping on first failure) or concurrently (reporting all failures). Parallel output stays live through short buffered sections, while an optional -n, --node-env value explicitly controls NODE_ENV for the matched child scripts.

Why Use This Command?

Run related scripts (e.g., build:clean, build:transpile, build:fix-alias) in a single command with no extra dependencies.
Choose between sequential execution (for ordered pipelines) and parallel execution (for independent tasks).
Set NODE_ENV for child scripts without relying on platform-specific shell syntax or Nova guessing from script names.
Keep concurrent output readable with script labels, section frames, preserved child colors, and one final failure summary.

Use Cases

Build pipelines — Run build:* scripts sequentially with an explicit production environment so each step shares the same intent.
Development mode — Run dev:* scripts in parallel with an explicit development environment to start watchers, dev servers, and other tools concurrently.
CI/CD checks — Run check:* scripts sequentially or in parallel depending on whether order matters.
Cleanup tasks — Run clean:* scripts in parallel since cleanup operations are independent.

Requirements

Node.js runtime — Use any Node.js LTS release with either the installed nova CLI or npx.
package.json — A valid package.json with a scripts field must exist in the current working directory.

Usage

You can run this command in two ways:

Options

Flag	Description
`-s, --sequential`	Run matched scripts one at a time, stopping on failure.
`-p, --parallel`	Run matched scripts concurrently.
`-b, --buffer <ms>`	Flush interval in milliseconds for parallel log grouping. Defaults to `500`.
`-n, --node-env <environment>`	Set child `NODE_ENV` to `development`, `production`, or `test`. Omit it to preserve the caller value.

Exactly one of --sequential or --parallel is required. The <pattern> argument supports a trailing wildcard (e.g., build:*) to match all scripts sharing a common prefix, or an exact script name.

In parallel mode, each script's output retains its own ANSI colors, receives a [script-name] prefix, and appears inside ┌─ script-name ── and └─ script-name ── frames. The time-windowed queue keeps output live while grouping contiguous lines; use --buffer to adjust its flush interval (default: 500 ms).

When concurrent scripts fail, Nova lets every script finish and then prints one compact summary containing each failed script and its exit code or startup error.

Pressing Ctrl + C in parallel mode stops every active child script, waits for shutdown to finish, and exits cleanly without treating expected signal exits as failures.

--node-env is explicit by design. Nova does not infer an environment from names such as build:* or dev:*. The selected value applies only to the child scripts; Nova does not mutate the parent process. If the option is omitted, the children inherit the caller's existing NODE_ENV unchanged.

Examples

Migration from npm-run-all

For users migrating from the npm-run-all workflow, Nova provides equivalent flags under nova utility run-scripts:

Command	Equivalent	What It Does
`nova utility run-scripts "build:*" --sequential`	`npm-run-all --sequential build:*`	Run matched scripts one at a time.
`nova utility run-scripts "dev:*" --parallel`	`npm-run-all --parallel dev:*`	Run matched scripts concurrently.
`nova utility run-scripts "dev:*" --parallel --buffer 200`	—	Run concurrently with 200 ms log flush interval.
`nova utility run-scripts "build:*" --sequential --node-env production`	—	Run sequentially with an explicit child `NODE_ENV`.

After updating your scripts in package.json, npm-run-all can be removed from devDependencies.

Troubleshooting

No "package.json" found — Confirm a package.json exists in the current working directory before running the command.
No scripts matched — Verify that your pattern matches at least one key in the scripts field. A trailing * matches by prefix (e.g., build:* matches build:clean, build:transpile).
Both modes specified — Use either --sequential or --parallel, not both. The command will exit with an error if both are provided.
Unsupported Node environment — Use development, production, or test with --node-env, or omit the option to inherit the caller's value.
Script fails in sequential mode — Execution stops at the first failure. Fix the failing script and re-run.
Script fails in parallel mode — All scripts run to completion. Review the final Failed scripts summary for every failed script and its exit code or startup error.