Registry / devops / node-process

node-process

JSON →
library1.0.1jsnpmunverified

node-process is a utility library for Node.js applications designed to simplify the management of sub-processes, enabling multi-threading and background task execution. Currently at version 1.0.1, its initial "LIVE ready" release suggests an active but relatively young project without a well-established release cadence yet. The library wraps Node.js's native `child_process.fork` functionality, abstracting away some complexities and offering a promise-based API for handling responses and errors. A key differentiator is its ability to manage both short-lived, single-response processes and "sticky" processes that remain open indefinitely until the main thread terminates, facilitating continuous background operations or long-running services. Communication between parent and child processes relies on `process.send`, with specific options for maintaining open connections in sticky processes. This simplifies common patterns for offloading CPU-intensive tasks or running concurrent operations without blocking the event loop, providing a more approachable alternative to direct `child_process` API usage.

devopshttp-networking
npm install node-process
github ↗package ↗
INSTALL
IMPORT
SIG · NODE-PROCESS
N
node-process
devopsjavascriptv1.0.1
Install
—
Import
—
Disk
—
Pass rate
0/ 6
Env Coverage0 / 6
glibc
18–22
musl
18–22
Install & Compatibility
Where this runs
tested against v? · npm install
Install × environment matrix
Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux
musl
node 18–226 runs
build_error
glibc
node 18–226 runs
build_error
Code
Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

node_process
✓ let node_process = require('node_process');
✗ import node_process from 'node_process';
This library is primarily designed for CommonJS environments. Direct ESM `import` may not work without a bundler or specific Node.js `--experimental-modules` configuration.
fork
✓ node_process.fork('path', args, keepOpen)
✗ import { fork } from 'node-process';
`fork` is a method of the object returned by `require('node_process')`, not a named export.
process.send
✓ process.send(message, handle, options)
✗ node_process.send(message)
`process.send` is a global Node.js API available within a forked child process, used to send messages back to the parent. It should not be called on the `node_process` object in the parent.

Demonstrates how to fork both a single-execution sub-process and a 'sticky' long-running background process, including basic inter-process communication.

const node_process = require('node_process'); // Example 1: One sub-process/thread that resolves once node_process.fork('path_to_your_module.js', ['arg1', 'arg2'], true) .then((response) => { // response is string|object sent from the module back to the main thread // using process.send('string|object'); console.log('One-time process response:', response); }) .catch((error) => { console.error('One-time process error:', error); }); // Example 2: A sticky process/thread that never ends until main thread is dead // The child module must call process.send(data, null, {keepOpen:true}); to remain open node_process.fork('path_to_another_module.js', ['config_path'], false) .then((response) => { // For sticky processes, this 'then' block is executed on *each* message from the child // as long as the child sends with {keepOpen:true} console.log('Sticky process message:', response); }) .catch((error) => { console.error('Sticky process error:', error); }); /* Example content for 'path_to_your_module.js' or 'path_to_another_module.js': process.on('message', (message) => { console.log('Child received:', message); // Perform some task const result = { status: 'done', data: 'Processed: ' + message[0] }; // For one-time process, process.send(result); is enough. // For sticky, use: process.send(result, null, {keepOpen: true}); process.send(result, null, { keepOpen: true }); }); */
Debug
Known issues
gotchaThe `path_to_valid_module` argument for `node_process.fork` must be an absolute path or a path resolvable relative to `process.cwd()`. Incorrect paths will lead to `MODULE_NOT_FOUND` errors.
fix
Ensure the path passed to `fork` is correct and fully qualified, or relative to the current working directory of the main process.
affects: >=1.0.0
gotchaData sent between parent and child processes via `process.send` is serialized using JSON. Complex JavaScript objects (like functions, Symbols, or non-enumerable properties) will not be transmitted correctly and may lead to data loss or errors.
fix
Only send JSON-serializable data between processes. If complex objects are needed, serialize them manually (e.g., to strings or simpler objects) before sending.
affects: >=1.0.0
gotchaErrors originating within the forked child module might not automatically propagate to the parent's `.catch()` block if not explicitly handled and sent back via `process.send`.
fix
Implement robust `try...catch` blocks within your child modules and ensure any errors are caught and explicitly sent back to the parent process using `process.send({ error: errorMessage })`.
affects: >=1.0.0
gotchaUsing 'sticky' processes (where `keepOpen` is `false` or `process.send` is used with `{ keepOpen: true }` in the child) requires careful resource management. These processes will consume system resources indefinitely until the main parent process exits, or they are explicitly terminated.
fix
For long-running sticky processes, implement a mechanism for graceful shutdown (e.g., listening for a 'terminate' message from the parent) to release resources when they are no longer needed.
affects: >=1.0.0
Errors
Common errors & fixes
Error: Cannot find module 'path_to_your_module.js'
The path provided to `node_process.fork` is incorrect or the module does not exist at the specified location.
fix
Verify the path to the child module is correct and accessible. Use `path.resolve(__dirname, 'your_module.js')` for robustness.
TypeError: node_process.fork is not a function
The `node_process` module was not correctly imported or its `fork` method is being called incorrectly.
fix
Ensure you are using `let node_process = require('node_process');` and calling it as `node_process.fork(...)`. Do not attempt `import { fork } from 'node-process'`.
Child process exits unexpectedly without sending a response.
The forked child module either crashed internally due to an unhandled error, or it completed its execution without calling `process.send()` to communicate a result.
fix
Check the child module's code for unhandled exceptions. Ensure `process.send(data)` is called by the child process when it has a message or result to send back to the parent.
Upgrade
Version history
1.0.1latest on npm
Audit
Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity
2 hits · last 30 days
node
2
Resources
githubhttps://github.com/segsalerty2013/node-process ↗
packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/node-process ↗