How Can I Execute Command Line Binaries in Node.js Using `child_process`?

Executing Command Line Binaries with Node.js

Executing third-party command line binaries from Node.js is straightforward using the child_process module.

Using exec for Complete Output

To execute a command and retrieve its complete output, use child_process.exec:

const { exec } = require('child_process');
exec('prince -v builds/pdf/book.html -o builds/pdf/book.pdf', (err, stdout, stderr) => {
  if (err) return;
  console.log(`stdout: ${stdout}`);
  console.log(`stderr: ${stderr}`);
});

Using spawn for Stream Output

To handle process I/O with streams, use child_process.spawn:

const { spawn } = require('child_process');
const child = spawn('prince', [
  '-v', 'builds/pdf/book.html',
  '-o', 'builds/pdf/book.pdf'
]);

child.stdout.on('data', (chunk) => {
  // Output chunks are received here
});

Using execFile for Executables

To execute an executable file instead of a command, use child_process.execFile:

const { execFile } = require('child_process');
execFile(file, args, options, (err, stdout, stderr) => {
  // Output is retrieved in stdout
});

Synchronous Functions

For synchronous execution, Node.js provides synchronous counterparts to these methods:

• child_process.execSync
• child_process.spawnSync
• child_process.execFileSync

They do not return ChildProcess instances like their asynchronous counterparts.

Note: For Node.js versions 0.11.12 and later, the above examples apply. For earlier versions, refer to the legacy code included in the provided answer.

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