Should `npm start` default NODE_ENV to 'production'

[kingcody]

I wanted to gauge the community's thoughts on this (possible PR).

The question is (like the title): should the npm start command set the NODE_ENV environment variable to 'production' by default if it hasn't been set already? This would allow people to deploy a built /dist folder by simply issuing npm start in that directory.

Many PAAS and other deployment systems already expect npm start to be the main entry point for a node app, I understand that many of those same services also allow you to set ENVs through some fashion. However, if they did not; this could simplify the process for them. Another point to make might be that the user has not generated an app that would required any other ENVs to be set (ei no auth) other than NODE_ENV, this would eliminate that need for them completely.

I don't think that this change would likely affect anyone in a negative way, as I doubt many (if any) run the app in development with npm start instead of grunt serve; but I'd like to hear the feedback on this assumption.

Here is the proposed npm start script:

...
  "scripts": {
    "start": "[[ ! $NODE_ENV ]] && NODE_ENV='production' && export NODE_ENV; node server/app.js",
...

As mentioned, the behavior could be overridden with NODE_ENV='whatever' npm start

Let me know what you think.

[lukeberry99]

Good idea, and is actually how I have my npm start setup already. Anyone that uses npm start for development instead of grunt serve is just making life a lot harder for themselves anyway.

[kingcody]

So it just dawned on me that unix operators such as [[ ]] and unix variable declarations $NODE_ENV= do not work in windows...

[kingcody]

This should work for all operating systems:

  "scripts": {
    "start": "node -e 'process.env.NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || \"production\"; require(\"server/app.js\");'"
  }

[mescalito]

That configuration granularity should be available on the Grunt.js file. We are the ones deciding where and how control the project and what better place that the Grunt.js file? specially for deployment.

I never use npm start, in fact it is the fist time I hear about it (and now I know what is for), maybe is because I always deploy lean my project. I use node and forever to run my servers always.

[lukeberry99]

I believe it's more for PAAS Providers that expect the start script to be npm start, in which case having the environment set to production is necessary. I believe if you don't specifically specify a Procfile heroku will default to npm start.

[JaKXz]

@kingcody That looks great, nice work!

[kingcody]

@mescalito forever is a good module :)

With a start script like the one above in your package.json you could use forever like so:

forever start -c "npm start" /path/to/dist/

That would eliminate having to specify NODE_ENV and maybe simplify the process? Just a suggestion though. Thanks for your feedback as well.

[Awk34]

The default action now is to use development: https://github.com/DaftMonk/generator-angular-fullstack/blob/master/app/templates/server/index.js#L4