V2: How to control dist directory

[olingern]

Parcel Version: 2.0.0-alpha.3.1
OS: Ubuntu 18.04

---

Context:

I have a pretty simple use case that worked well with parcel 1.x

Basically, I have a server that serves out of public directory where I'd like my build to be placed.

Example:
/server/public/js

In Parcel's previous version, I just used the -d option to do something like:
parcel watch ./app/client/src/index.tsx -d ./dist/server/public/js

or

parcel build ./app/client/src/index.tsx -d ./dist/server/public/js

In the current version, I receive an error:
error: unknown option -d

I've tried finding this option via the README, parcel --help build, and searching "dist" on the repo. If this is documented somewhere, it's not clear and/or buried.

---

Questions

• Is there a migrating guide?

• Can I control where output is placed?

Coming from other configuration tools, this has been a godsend. So, thanks for the ease of use.

[mischnic]

Can I control where output is placed?

Parcel 2 can do multiple "builds" at once, so a global dist dir didn't make sense anymore. In your case, adding this entry to your package.json should work:

{
  // ...
  default: "dist/server/public/js/index.js"
  // ...
}

Is there a migrating guide?

That would definitely be part of the docs (yet to be written).

[olingern]

@mischnic I see. I wouldn't mind opening a PR on how to migrate building from v1 to v2. I'm sure I'll need some suggestions from reviews, though.

Is that something that would go in the root 'README` ?

[mischnic]

The readme was originally the specification for Parcel 2 and unfortunately serves as documentation as well. This documentation should really go onto the website (https://github.com/parcel-bundler/website) but we haven't really setup anything yet.

[damianobarbati]

Is it possible to output the dist directory when using yarn parcel index.html without specifying anything in the package.json?

Otherwise testing the actual http serving files is not possible, there's no dist :)

[mischnic]

It's currently always in .parcel-cache/dist, here's some discussion about that: #3691.

With parcel index.html you don't need to start a http server yourself?
If you do want to do that, I'd recommend yarn parcel watch index.html so that you can setup a server in dist yourself.

[vladinator1000]

If you have scripts like

  "scripts": {
    "build:client": "parcel build client/index.html --out-dir dist/client",
    "build:server": "parcel build server/index.js --target node --out-dir dist/server",
}

How would you migrate that to v2?

[mischnic]

@vladinator1000 At the moment, the only way is a monorepo-like setup (so with package.json in client and one in server).

[half-halt]

How about prod vs. dev/debug?

[mischnic]

In the meantime, --dist-dir was added for Parcel 2 (behave like v1's --out-dir)

[olingern]

My ass. must install weird nightly version, and read out-of-date docs and dumpster-diving the issues section to piece together how to build my project. wtf...

Dude, this work is people's free time. If it doesn't work for you, go build it yourself.

[mischnic]

Both of your problems are listed here in the migration guide:

• https://v2.parceljs.org/getting-started/migration/#--out-dir
• https://v2.parceljs.org/getting-started/migration/#package.json%23main

It's not our responsibility to meet your deadline.

[yairEO]

@mischnic - sorry for wasting your time - deleted all my comments

[eduardobcastro]

--dist-dir is not working. It creates a lot of files in the root dir.

[mischnic]

@eduardobcastro You probably have a main: "index.html" line in your package.json. Remove that

[dev-ggaurav]

@eduardobcastro You probably have a main: "index.html" line in your package.json. Remove that

This worked for me thanks!

[mkpasala]

In the meantime, --dist-dir was added for Parcel 2 (behave like v1's --out-dir)

its worked for me

[jamesvclements]

@mischnic in the monorepo setup, what’s the best way to ask for each package/* to have its own dist folder when you build from the root directory?

[devongovett]

@jamesvclements did you check out https://parceljs.org/getting-started/library/? You can define targets in each package.json (e.g. main/module).

[jamesvclements]

@devongovett
I did but I think I'm lost on the exact config.

My repo structure looks like this:

/
  package.json
  packages/
    package/
      src/
        index.js
      package.json

The root package.json has the build command:

"build": "parcel build packages/*/src/*.js"

and the package/package.json has the target:

    "targets": {
        "default": {
            "distDir": "./dist"
        }
    },

but running npm run build from the root directory still outputs in /dist/index.js rather than /packages/package/dist/index.js

[jamesvclements]

Update—I found a workaround. I definitely don't think this is the correct way to do it, but specifying targets for each package lets me run one build command, and then I can publish individual packages with npm publish packages/video-autoplay, etc:

[Nikh9123]

@eduardobcastro You probably have a main: "index.html" line in your package.json. Remove that

i don't have main: "index.html" this but it is also not working

[samiwazni]

My project is built with React and the server is apps-script. When I make changes the React index.html generates the changes to apps-script.
I run into an error:

[email protected] start
parcel src/ --dist-dir ./apps-script

error: unknown option `--dist-dir'

[mischnic]

https://parceljs.org/getting-started/migration/#--out-dir

[samiwazni]

@mischnic I do have it as:
"parcel build src/index.html --dist-dir"
"parcel build src/index.html --dist-dir"