Run brunch from different directory and use relative paths

Question

We want to use the same build system across multiple projects. I have a working brunch configuration file that I want to put in a git submodule, so that that submodule can be referenced in multiple projects and changes are easily propagated (less fragile than copy and paste and sets authoritative source of brunch-config.js).

Putting brunch-config.js in a git submodule though causes my folder structure to end up like this:

WebApp // git root
|---Brunch-Build-System // git submodule
|   |---brunch-config.js
|---node_modules
|---source // all the source code I want compiled

Brunch operates assuming brunch-config.js would be at the same or higher level than the source being compiled. In this setup, this is not the case. I've tried modifying my brunch-config.js to use a relative path to no avail. Here is my files block of the Brunch configuration as it currently stands, without any relative path attempt:

files: {
  javascripts: {
    joinTo: {
      'js/lib.js': /^(?!source\/)/
    },
    entryPoints: {
      'source/scripts/app.jsx': {
        'js/app.js': /^source\//
      },
    }
  },
  stylesheets: {joinTo: 'css/core.css'}
}

How could I modify this to use a relative path given the desired folder structure above? Is this even possible?

Answer 1

A submodule needs to be associates with a root folder within the parent repo: it is the gitlink (a special entry in the main repo index ) which records which SHA1 that submodule is checked out.

In your case, it would be best if you can use, in a post-checkout hook , a script ensuring there is a symbolic link between:

• brunch-config.js at its correct place and
• that Brunch-Build-System / brunch-config.js from the submodule

The lines to include in the hook would be something along the lines of

#!/bin/bash

if [ ! -e /correct/path/for/brunch-config.js ]; then
  ln -s /correct/path/for/brunch-config.js Brunch-Build-System/brunch-config.js
fi

Although the OP being on Windows:

I ended up just programmatically copying the file over and gitignoreing the copied file

Answer 2

In general, brunch supports relative paths. But in order to make it work, you have to first make sure that the other folders are watched . See this part in the docs . For your case, add this to your config.

paths = {
  watched: ['../source', '../node_modules'],
}

Then prepend the RegExs by ..\\/ .

joinTo: {
  'js/lib.js': /^..\/(?!source\/)/
},
entryPoints: {
  'source/scripts/app.jsx': {
    'js/app.js': /^..\/source\//
  },
}

Instead of a RegEx, you can also write a function that takes the path as an argument and has to return whether the path should be included or not. See this part in the docs .