guard/guard
Guard
Guard is a command-line file watcher that monitors the filesystem from the terminal and automatically executes user-defined tasks when files are modified, added, or deleted. It functions as a file change watcher and test runner that triggers test suite execution immediately when source or spec files are saved, providing instant feedback during development. The tool is configured through a Ruby-based domain-specific language in a Guardfile, and it can send visual desktop notifications when watched file actions complete or fail.
The project distinguishes itself through a plugin-based extension system that allows community-maintained plugins to add specialized functionality for tasks like testing, reloading, or building. It provides real-time console control, enabling users to interact with the running watcher through keyboard commands and system signals to pause, reload, or stop tasks without restarting. Guard also supports grouping watchers by context, pattern-matched file filtering, and the ability to exclude specific files from watching, giving developers fine-grained control over which file changes trigger which actions.
The tool covers the full lifecycle of automated file change reactions, from watching file system events and running commands on file changes to displaying system notifications and interacting via console. It includes capabilities for initializing and configuring Guardfiles, listing available plugins and notification systems, and showing plugin configuration details. Guard is launched from the command line and automatically loads project-specific rules, making it straightforward to integrate into existing development workflows.
Features
- File Change Listeners - Watches the filesystem for modifications and runs predefined commands automatically when files are created, updated, or deleted.
- File Watchers - Monitors the filesystem from the terminal and executes user-defined tasks on file events.
- File Watcher Launchers - Starts the file watcher from a terminal with a simple command, automatically loading project-specific rules.
- Custom Command Execution - Runs user-defined shell commands or Ruby blocks when specific file patterns change.
- Configuration File Command Execution - Executes arbitrary shell commands or Ruby blocks whenever a watched file is modified.
- File Watcher DSLs - Defines watch rules and actions using a Ruby-based domain-specific language in a Guardfile.
- Shell Command Execution - Runs user-defined shell commands or Ruby blocks when specific file patterns change.
- Test Watch Modes - Automatically executes a test suite when watched source or spec files are modified.
- DSL Configuration Parsing - Defines watch rules and actions using a Ruby-based domain-specific language in a Guardfile.
- File Watcher DSLs - Defines watch rules and actions using a Ruby-based domain-specific language in a Guardfile.
- File System Watchers - Provides the core file-system monitoring loop that drives all automated reactions.
- Plugin Extenders - Adds specialized functionality by installing community-maintained plugins for tasks like testing or reloading.
- Plugin-Extensible Watchers - Extends functionality with community plugins for tasks like testing, reloading, or building.
- Plugin-Based Architectures - Loads community-maintained plugins as Ruby gems to extend file-watching behaviors.
- Test-Driven Development Workflow - Runs test suites automatically when source or spec files are saved, providing instant feedback and shortening the development loop.
- File System Monitors - Monitors file system changes using the Listen gem and triggers configured actions in real time.
- On-Save Verification - Triggers test suite execution immediately when source or spec files are saved.
- Watcher Groupings - Organizes watch rules into named groups for context-specific task execution.
- File Pattern Matching - Filters which file changes trigger commands by matching paths against regular expressions.
- File Watcher Consoles - Interacts with a running file watcher through keyboard commands and system signals to pause, reload, or stop tasks without restarting.
- Interactive Consoles - Provides a real-time console interface for controlling the watcher via keyboard commands.
- Task Completion Notifications - Sends visual system notifications when watched file actions complete or fail.
- Event Notifications - Dispatches a desktop or network notification when a watched file triggers an action.
- Cross-Platform Event Notifiers - Displays visual desktop notifications when Guard triggers actions or encounters errors.
- Orchestration And Workflow - File system monitoring with an extensive plugin ecosystem.
- File System Monitoring - Command line tool for handling filesystem modification events.
