Simple grunt task for running an Express server that works great with LiveReload + Watch/Regarde

This plugin requires Grunt ~0.4.0

If you haven't used Grunt before, be sure to check out the Getting Started guide, as it explains how to create a Gruntfile as well as install and use Grunt plugins. Once you're familiar with that process, you may install this plugin with this command:

npm install grunt-express-server --save-dev

One the plugin has been installed, it may be enabled inside your Gruntfile with this line of JavaScript:

grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-express-server');

In your project's Gruntfile, you can create one or multiple servers:

grunt.initConfig({
  express: {
    options: {
      // Override defaults here
    },
    dev: {
      options: {
        script: 'path/to/dev/server.js'
      }
    },
    prod: {
      options: {
        script: 'path/to/prod/server.js',
        node_env: 'production'
      }
    }
    test: {
      options: {
        script: 'path/to/test/server.js'
      }
    }
  }
});

You can override the default options either in the root of the express config or within each individual server task.

  express: {
    options: {
      // Will turn into: `node path/to/server.js ARG1 ARG2 ... ARGN`
      args: [ ],

      // Setting to `false` will effectively just run `node path/to/server.js`
      background: true,

      // Called if spawning the server fails
      error: function(err, result, code) {},

      // Called when the spawned server throws errors
      fallback: function() {},

      // Override node env's PORT
      port: 3000,

      // Override node env's NODE_ENV
      node_env: undefined,

      // Consider the server to be "running" after an explicit delay (in milliseconds)
      // (e.g. when server has no initial output)
      delay: 0,

      // Regular expression that matches server output to indicate it is "running"
      output: ".+"
    }
  }

By default, unless delay or output has been customized, the server is considered "running" once any output is logged to the console, upon which control is passed back to grunt.

Typically, this is normally:

Express server listening on port 3000

If you log output before the server is running, either set delay or output to indicate when the server has officially started.

If you have a server defined named dev, you can start the server by running express:dev.

Similarly, if you start the dev server with express:dev, you can stop the server with express:dev:stop.

grunt.initConfig({
  watch: {
    express: {
      files:  [ '**/*.js' ],
      tasks:  [ 'express:dev' ],
      options: {
        nospawn: true //Without this option specified express won't be reloaded
      }
    }
  }
});

grunt.registerTask('server', [ 'express:dev', 'watch' ])

In lieu of a formal styleguide, take care to maintain the existing coding style. Add unit tests for any new or changed functionality. Lint and test your code using Grunt.

• Add node_env option that sets NODE_ENV when running the server & restores original env upon closing, thanks to @jgable!

• Add delay option that, when set, passes control back to grunt after timeout
• Add output regular expression option that, when set, waits for matching message before passing control back to grunt

• Try to force notification that express task has finished as much as possible

• express is now a multitask with customizable options, better error handling and :stop task

• Change express-server task to express
• Config is set via express: '...' instead of server: { script: '...' }

• Initial import from Genesis Skeleton & release