Restart a node.js app from code level

javascript, node.js, sigkill

Solution

Found a working case to get `node.js` restarted from app itself:

Example:

// Optional part (if there's an running webserver which blocks a port required for next startup
try {
  APP.webserver.close(); // Express.js instance
  APP.logger("Webserver was halted", 'success');
} catch (e) {
  APP.logger("Cant't stop webserver:", 'error'); // No server started
  APP.logger(e, 'error');
}


// First I create an exec command which is executed before current process is killed
var cmd = "node " + APP.config.settings.ROOT_DIR + 'app.js';

// Then I look if there's already something ele killing the process  
if (APP.killed === undefined) {
  APP.killed = true;

  // Then I excute the command and kill the app if starting was successful
  var exec = require('child_process').exec;
  exec(cmd, function () {
    APP.logger('APPLICATION RESTARTED', 'success');
    process.kill();
  });
}

The only con I can see here is to loose outputs on console but if anything is logged into logfiles it's not a problem.

Problem

I've an app which initially creates `static` config files (once) and after files were written I need to reinitialize/restart the application. Is there something to restart a node.js app from itself? This is required cause I've an application running in two `runlevels` in node.js. The initial one starts completly `synchronus` and after this level has been completed app is in async runlevel in a previously started environment. I know there are tools like nodemon but that's not what I need in my case. I tried to kill the app via `process.kill()` which is working but I can't listen to the kill event: ``` // Add the listener process.on('exit', function(code) { console.log('About to exit with code:', code); // Start app again but how? }); // Kill application process.kill(); ``` Or is there a better, cleaner way to handle this?

Original source

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