sindresorhus/execa

Attach `.nodeChildProcess` to the execa promise

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#413 opened on Feb 16, 2020

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 (13 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)JavaScript (6,091 stars) (219 forks)batch import
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Node.js does this now for childProcess. when you promisify it.

https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_exec_command_options_callback

The name is to be decided.

One day, I hope we can get rid of execa() being both a childProcess and promise and just have the .child property on the promise. But that's a huge breaking change. For now, the best we can do is to add it, and recommend new users to use it instead of the old way. We could even un-document the old way.

@ehmicky Thoughts?

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptnodejs
Domain
backend
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of execa's promise APIFamiliarity with Node.js child process
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
The issue proposes adding a `.nodeChildProcess` property to the execa promise, similar to Node.js child process. Key discussion points include naming and the gradual deprecation of the old dual behavior. Examine execa's source code in index.js and main.js to understand the current promise implementation. Review Node.js documentation for `child process.exec` callback. Consider the maintainer's comments (especially @ehmicky) for design decisions. The goal is to add the property without breaking changes, potentially marking the old approach as deprecated. Further reading: linked issue discussion and any related PRs.