Build Process Documentation

Overview

The Continue CLI uses esbuild to bundle the application along with local packages (@continuedev/config-yaml and @continuedev/openai-adapters) into a single distributable file. This ensures that users who install the CLI from npm don't need to worry about local file references.

Build Steps

1. Build packages: cd ../../ && node ./scripts/build-packages.js
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Build: npm run build
   • This first builds the local packages
   • Then bundles everything with esbuild

How it Works

Bundling Strategy

The build.mjs script uses esbuild to:

• Bundle all TypeScript/JavaScript code into a single ES module
• Include local packages (@continuedev/config-yaml, @continuedev/openai-adapters) directly in the bundle
• Keep problematic or native dependencies external (e.g., @sentry/profiling-node, winston, express)
• Create a wrapper script (dist/cn.js) with the proper shebang for CLI execution

Key Features

• Local Package Bundling: Local packages are bundled directly, avoiding file: reference issues
• Stub for Optional Dependencies: react-devtools-core is stubbed to prevent runtime errors
• CommonJS Compatibility: Adds createRequire to support packages that use dynamic requires
• Source Maps: Generates source maps for debugging
• Metadata: Creates dist/meta.json with bundle analysis information

Testing

Smoke Tests

Run smoke tests to verify the build:

npm run test:smoke

The smoke tests verify:

• Bundle files exist
• CLI commands work (--version, --help)
• Bundle size is reasonable (<20MB)
• Local packages are properly bundled
• No missing runtime dependencies

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Module not found errors: Check if the module needs to be added to the external list in build.mjs
2. Native module issues: Native modules should be marked as external
3. Bundle too large: Review bundled packages in dist/meta.json and consider marking large packages as external

Analyzing the Bundle

After building, check dist/meta.json to see:

• What packages were bundled
• Bundle size breakdown
• Input/output file mappings

Publishing

When publishing to npm:

1. The bundled files in dist/ are included
2. Users install via npm install -g @continuedev/cli
3. The cn command becomes available globally
4. No local file references or missing dependencies