Watch Mode

chant includes a watch mode that monitors your source files and automatically re-runs on changes. Available on both build and lint commands.

Usage

chant build --watch
chant lint --watch

How It Works

1. File system monitoring — watches for file create, modify, and delete events
2. Debouncing — changes are batched with a short debounce window
3. Full re-runs — each batch of changes triggers a full rebuild or re-lint

Watched and Ignored Paths

Watch mode monitors all .ts files, with these exclusions:

Ignored Pattern	Reason
node_modules/	Dependencies don’t change during development
.chant/	Generated types and metadata
Hidden directories (.*/)	.git/, editor configs, tool caches
*.test.ts, *.spec.ts	Test files
Non-.ts files	Only .ts files are watched

Tips

• Large projects: Debouncing keeps re-runs efficient by batching rapid file saves
• Terminal multiplexing: Run watch mode in one terminal pane and your editor in another