watchexec
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Description:
Execute commands when watched files change
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: file-watcher developer-tools automation cli rust
Install: brew install watchexec
About:
Watchexec is a command-line tool that monitors file paths for changes and executes commands in response. It provides robust filtering capabilities, including glob patterns and .gitignore support, to avoid unnecessary triggers. The tool is designed for performance and reliability, making it ideal for development workflows.
Key Features:
  • Cross-platform file system monitoring
  • Advanced filtering with glob patterns and .gitignore support
  • Debouncing to prevent rapid, repeated executions
  • Signal handling and process management
  • Shell command execution
Use Cases:
  • Automatically recompiling code or restarting a server during development
  • Running tests or linters when source files are saved
  • Triggering build scripts for documentation or assets
Alternatives:
  • fswatch – fswatch is a cross-platform file change monitor, but watchexec offers more integrated command execution and filtering.
  • inotify-tools – inotify-tools is Linux-specific and lower-level; watchexec provides a more user-friendly interface and cross-platform support.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 10, 2024 10:27pm 0 VERSION_BUMP d47169b5
Apr 20, 2024 3:40pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 09f98c85
Jan 1, 2024 2:38pm 0 VERSION_BUMP fa599394
Dec 30, 2023 12:22am 0 VERSION_BUMP cc79c5b8
Dec 29, 2023 6:40pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 7b2c2543
Dec 19, 2023 4:05pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 51cad593
Dec 11, 2023 1:54pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 748cb232
Dec 11, 2023 12:54pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 42c4e39a
Sep 18, 2023 11:30pm 0 VERSION_BUMP c51e7bef
Aug 30, 2023 10:11pm 0 VERSION_BUMP fc0124cd
Aug 30, 2023 3:34pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 719ef63f
May 14, 2023 2:13pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 4910fee4
Mar 25, 2023 5:28pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 802f2ae8