Nx is a powerful build system and developer tools that helps you create and maintain large, complex applications. One of its key features is Drafting, a feature that enables you to preview changes and experiment with new code without affecting your main codebase.
What is Drafting?
Drafting in Nx allows you to create a temporary branch of your codebase called a "draft." This draft acts as a sandbox where you can make changes, run tests, and explore new features without worrying about breaking your main codebase.
Why Use Drafting?
Here are some benefits of using Drafting in Nx:
- Experiment without fear: Draft your changes and test them without any impact on the main codebase. This gives you the freedom to try new ideas and explore different approaches.
- Faster iteration: You can quickly create and destroy drafts, allowing you to iterate on your code quickly and efficiently.
- Isolate changes: Keep your main codebase clean and focused on your production code while exploring new features and bug fixes in a separate draft.
- Collaboration: Share drafts with colleagues for review and feedback, streamlining the development process.
- Rollback easily: If a draft doesn't work out, you can easily discard it and revert to your original codebase.
How to Use Drafting in Nx
Drafting is easy to use in Nx. You can create a draft by running the following command:
nx draft <name>
This will create a new branch named <name> in your Git repository. All changes you make in this draft will be isolated to this branch.
To activate a draft, you can use the following command:
nx draft activate <name>
This will switch your current branch to the specified draft.
You can also use the nx draft list command to see all available drafts and the nx draft destroy command to delete a draft.
Conclusion
Drafting is a powerful feature of Nx that allows you to experiment and iterate quickly and efficiently. By isolating changes in temporary branches, you can make bolder moves without fear of breaking your main codebase. This can help you develop faster, improve code quality, and collaborate more effectively with your team.