prcl

library0.4.0jsnpmunverified

Parcel is an ultra-fast JavaScript bundler designed for development speed, v0.4.0, with no release cadence (sporadic). It avoids parsing JS fully, working mostly by concatenation with a few simple rules (no dynamic requires, no non-constant module names). Key differentiator: sub-10ms rebuilds, faster than Browserify or FuseBox by an order of magnitude, but lacks advanced features like tree-shaking. Ideal for rapid iteration during development, not production builds. ESM-only; CommonJS require() is used but only with static strings.

web-framework

npm install prcl

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PRCL

prcl

web-frameworkjavascriptv0.4.0

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.

default (CLI)

✓ npx prcl index.js bundle.js

✗ npx parcel index.js bundle.js

The npm package is 'prcl', not 'parcel'. The CLI command is 'prcl'.

N/A (no programmatic API)

✓ const prcl = require('prcl') // not exposed

✗ import prcl from 'prcl'

Parcel has no documented programmatic API; it's purely a CLI tool.

CLI watch mode

✓ prcl -w index.js bundle.js

✗ prcl --watch index.js bundle.js

Watch flag is '-w', not '--watch' (though both may work).

Basic usage: create two CommonJS modules, bundle with prcl via stdout redirection, run with Node.

// math.js exports.square = x => x * x // index.js const itt = require('itt') const math = require('./math') console.log(itt.range(10).map(math.square).join(' ')) // terminal // npm install -g prcl // prcl index.js >bundle.js // node bundle.js

parcel --version

Debug

Known issues

gotchaPackage name is 'prcl' on npm, not 'parcel' (which is a different package).

fix

Install with `npm install -g prcl` or `npx prcl`. Do not confuse with `parcel`.

affects: >=0.0.0

deprecatedThis package is extremely outdated (last release 2017?) and no longer maintained. Use at your own risk.

fix

Consider modern alternatives like esbuild or Vite for fast bundling.

affects: >=0.4.0

gotchaDynamic require() expressions are not supported; only static string literals.

fix

Replace dynamic requires with static ones or use a different bundler.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaVariable or property named 'require' is forbidden.

fix

Rename any variable or property to avoid shadowing 'require'.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaNo tree-shaking; bundles entire modules even if you only use a small part.

fix

Use a production bundler like Webpack or Rollup for optimized output.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaNo built-in support for TypeScript, JSX, or CSS imports.

fix

Add transforms manually (e.g., tsc --module commonjs) before bundling.

affects: >=0.0.0

gotchaWatch mode (-w) may have file descriptor leaks on some systems.

fix

Restart the process periodically or avoid long-running watch sessions.

affects: >=0.4.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: Cannot find module 'prcl'

Trying to import prcl programmatically, but it has no programmatic API.

fix

Use as CLI only: `npx prcl index.js bundle.js`

Error: require is not defined

Running bundled output in the browser without a module system.

fix

Parcel outputs CommonJS; in browser, load with a script tag but ensure require is defined (e.g., bundle with a shim). Or use for Node only.

TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')

Using a relative path require that doesn't resolve correctly; Parcel does not resolve Node modules from node_modules as robustly as other bundlers.

fix

Ensure all dependencies are installed and required with exact paths. For npm packages, use 'prcl' with explicit node_modules paths if needed.

Upgrade

Version history

0.4.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

6 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/nathan/parcel ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/prcl ↗

homepagehttps://parceljs.org ↗