Nodemon vs Node.js Process: Avoiding Duplicate Writes During Rapid Restarts

Nodemon vs Node.js Process: Duplicate Write Concerns

Goal

Determine how to configure Nodemon so that the Node.js application does not produce duplicate log entries when the process restarts immediately after a file change.

Constraints

Nodemon triggers a restart on every detected file event, and the underlying OS file‑watcher may emit multiple rapid events for a single edit. The application writes to a log file on each start, so overlapping writes can occur if the restart occurs before the previous write completes.

Open Questions

• Should Nodemon batch rapid file change events into a single restart, or should it restart for each event?
• What is the impact of the --delay flag on the likelihood of duplicate writes in fast development cycles?
• Can we rely on --ignore patterns to exclude files that frequently change during a restart, and how does that affect necessary restarts?