Service Definitions

Service definitions in runnem allow you to configure how each service in your project should be managed. This page details all the available configuration options for services.

Basic Service Definition

A minimal service definition requires only a command:

services:
  api:
    command: npm run dev

Full Service Definition

A complete service definition can include:

services:
  api:
    command: cd ~/projects/myproject/api && npm run dev
    url: http://localhost:3000
    depends_on: ["database"]
    env:
      NODE_ENV: development
      PORT: 3000

Configuration Options

Required Fields

command: The command to run the service
```
api:
  command: npm run dev
```

Optional Fields

url: URL to check if the service is running
```
api:
  url: http://localhost:3000
```
depends_on: List of services this service depends on
```
frontend:
  depends_on: ["api"]
```

env: Environment variables for the service

api:
  env:
    NODE_ENV: development
    PORT: 3000

Command Examples

Node.js Service

api:
  command: cd ~/projects/myproject/api && npm run dev
  url: http://localhost:3000

Python Service

worker:
  command: cd ~/projects/myproject/worker && python main.py
  env:
    PYTHONPATH: .

Docker Service

database:
  command: cd ~/projects/myproject/database && docker-compose up
  url: postgresql://localhost:5432

Multiple Commands

frontend:
  command: |
    cd ~/projects/myproject/frontend
    npm install
    npm run dev

Best Practices

Use absolute paths in commands
Define URLs for services when possible
Keep commands simple and focused
Use environment variables for configuration
Group related commands using the pipe operator
Document complex commands with comments
Test commands before adding them to the configuration

Common Patterns

Development vs Production

api:
  command: |
    cd ~/projects/myproject/api
    if [ "$NODE_ENV" = "production" ]; then
      npm run start
    else
      npm run dev
    fi

Service with Dependencies

frontend:
  command: npm run dev
  url: http://localhost:3001
  depends_on: ["api", "database"]

Next Steps

Service Management - Learn how to manage your development services
CLI Reference - Browse through the list of options in Runnem's command-line interface
Why Runnem? - Learn the philosophy and motivation behind the tool