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Watch

Use watch as the default development loop for HTML-first apps.

Command​

webstir watch --workspace /absolute/path/to/workspace

What It Does​

  1. Detects the workspace mode from package.json.
  2. Starts Bun-native frontend watch for spa, ssg, and full workspaces.
  3. Starts the backend build watcher and runtime for api and full workspaces.
  4. Serves the frontend through Bun when a frontend surface exists.
  5. Proxies /api/* to the backend runtime in full mode.
  6. Rebuilds on changes under src/** and types/**.

The old --frontend-runtime flag has been removed. Frontend watch now follows the workspace mode directly.

What To Validate​

Use the proof apps as the baseline:

  • bun run watch:auth-crud to validate sign-in, validation recovery, redirect-after-post, and CRUD flows
  • bun run watch:dashboard to validate shell and panel fragment refreshes

Readiness​

The backend runtime reports readiness with API server running. The orchestrator waits for the port to open before declaring the backend ready. The watch suite covers SPA rebuilds and removed-flag handling, and full has integration coverage for frontend edits, backend edits, and /api proxying.

To get a backend-only loop, scaffold an api workspace with webstir init api <directory>.