difference between ts-node-dev and nodemon

To add a watch mode to TypeScript project using Node.js, you can use a tool like ts-node-dev or nodemon. These tools automatically restart your application whenever you make changes to your TypeScript files. Here's how to set it up:

Using ts-node-dev

1. Install ts-node-dev:

   npm install ts-node-dev --save-dev
   

2. Update package.json: Add a watch script to your package.json file.

   {
     "scripts": {
       "build": "tsc",
       "start": "node dist/index.js",
       "dev": "ts-node-dev --respawn --transpile-only src/index.ts"
     }
   }
   

3. Run the watch script:

   npm run dev
   

Using nodemon

1. Install nodemon and ts-node:

   npm install nodemon ts-node --save-dev
   

2. Create a nodemon.json file: Create a nodemon.json configuration file in the root of your project to specify how nodemon should handle TypeScript files.

   {
     "watch": ["src"],
     "ext": "ts",
     "exec": "ts-node ./src/index.ts"
   }
   

3. Update package.json: Add a watch script to your package.json file.

   {
     "scripts": {
       "build": "tsc",
       "start": "node dist/index.js",
       "dev": "nodemon"
     }
   }
   

4. Run the watch script:

   npm run dev