Watch Command

Build on the Fly

Tired of running phpkg build after every tweak? The phpkg watch command keeps your project in sync by automatically rebuilding it whenever your source files change. It’s a must-have for development—code, save, and see updates instantly.

  • Why Use It?: Speeds up your workflow with real-time builds.
  • How It Works: Monitors your files and triggers build on changes.

Usage

From your project’s root directory, run:

phpkg watch
  • What It Does: Watches your source files (mapped in phpkg.config.json) and rebuilds to builds/development/ on any change.
  • How to Stop: Hit Ctrl+C in the terminal.

Tip: Pair it with your dev setup—edit, refresh, repeat.

Why It’s Handy

  • Instant Feedback: See changes without lifting a finger.
  • Dev Flow: Focus on coding, not rebuilding.
  • Consistency: Keeps builds/development/ up-to-date with your latest work.

After starting, tweak a file—watch handles the rest.

Tips

  • Config Matters: Ensure your phpkg.config.json maps source dirs correctly—see Customization.
  • Test It: Edit a file (e.g., src/App.php) and check builds/development/.
  • Next Step: Ready to deploy? Switch to phpkg build production—see Build Command.

Why This Matters?

We believe that PHP has enormous untapped potential, and we are dedicated to creating tools that empower developers to harness its full power and capabilities. We aim to unlock this potential by creating tools that help developers harness PHP's full capabilities and extend its power to new heights. To this end, we developed phpkg, a cutting-edge package manager that simplifies the process of using PHP to its fullest extent. With phpkg, developers can take advantage of all that PHP has to offer and build more efficient, scalable, and powerful applications.