BEM Tools

Toolkit to work with files based on BEM methodology.

Installation

You need NodeJS 0.4.x or later and npm 1.x.

• Install bem-tools

   sudo npm -g install bem
  

• Use this command bem-tools to install the development version

   sudo npm -g install bem@unstable
  

bem-bl

If you are going to use bem with bem-bl block library, you should also install XJST and OmetaJS.

sudo npm -g install xjst ometajs

Usage

Get the list of commands with bem --help. To read about commands and subcommands use bem COMMAND --help or bem COMMAND SUBCOMMAND --help.

Shell completion

bash

To make completions for bem-tools available in your bash, run following command (ensure that you have bash-completion installed, first). Run this

bem completion > /path/to/etc/bash_completion.d/bem

and restart bash.

If you aren't using bash-completion, you can add bem completion to your .bashrc:

bem completion >> ~/.bashrc

zsh

If you use zsh, you can add bem completion to your .zshrc:

bem completion >> ~/.zshrc

then restart.

Commands

bem create

You can create following entities using bem create:

• levels of defenition
• blocks
• elements
• modifiers

Level of defenition

Level of defenition is a directory that holds blocks and an utility directiry .bem.

A .bem directory holds configuration of a current level:

• naming convention
• links to the technologies

An example of technologies' links (this is blocks-desktop level of bem-bl block library):

https://github.com/bem/bem-bl/blob/master/blocks-common/.bem/level.js

Create new level of defenition named blocks under current directory:

bem create level blocks

Create a level for pages

In bem-tools terms pages are blocks as well and a directory which holds pages is a level of defenition itself. To create such a directory run this:

bem create level pages

Create a level based on an existing one

bem create level allows to use an existing level as a prototype for a level it creates.

bem create level -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop blocks

Block

Block is a directory that holds block's implementation, some files with different technologies.

Create a new block

bem create block b-my-block

By default, a block has several techs: (bemhtml, css, js).

Create a new block using concrete tech

Flags -t (-T) are to create files of technologies you need:

bem create block -t deps.js b-my-block
    // Creates a block implementation in deps.js technology, ecxept of default techs.

bem create block -T css b-my-block
    // Creates only CSS technology for a block

bem create block -T bem-bl/blocks-desktop/i-bem/bem/techs/bemhtml.js b-my-block
    // -T flag is useful when you need to add a new tech to the block existed

The value of this flag may be either tech's name (e.g css) or a path to tech module.

Tech names may be listed in .bem/level.js file of a level. E.g., https://github.com/bem/bem-bl/blob/master/blocks-common/.bem/level.js

You can find the examples of tech modules in the repo:

https://github.com/bem/bem-tools/tree/nodejs/lib/techs

bem build

bem build command builds page files in different techs, according to a page declaration.

Create bemdecl.js file from page's bemjson

bem build \
    -l bem-bl/blocks-common -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop \
    -l blocks -l pages/index/blocks \
    -d pages/index/index.bemjson.js -t bemdecl.js \
    -o pages/index -n index

You can use either tech's name or a path to its module as a value of -t flag. This module says how to build a final file from a declaration.

E.g., this is a module for deps.js: https://github.com/bem/bem-tools/blob/nodejs/lib/techs/deps.js.js

Create deps.js file from bemdecl.js

bem build \
    -l bem-bl/blocks-common -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop \
    -l blocks -l pages/index/blocks \
    -d pages/index/index.bemdecl.js -t deps.js \
    -o pages/index -n index

Create js and css files for a page from deps.js

bem build \
    -l bem-bl/blocks-common -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop \
    -l blocks -l pages/index/blocks \
    -d pages/index/index.deps.js -t css \
    -o pages/index -n index

bem build \
    -l bem-bl/blocks-common -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop \
    -l blocks -l pages/index/blocks \
    -d pages/index/index.deps.js -t js \
    -o pages/index -n index

Create bemhtml.js template for a page from deps.js

bem build \
    -l bem-bl/blocks-common -l bem-bl/blocks-desktop \
    -l blocks -l pages/index/blocks \
    -d pages/index/index.bemhtml.js \
    -t bem-bl/blocks-desktop/i-bem/bem/techs/bemhtml.js \
    -o pages/index -n index

There is an example how pages are built using bem build in our test project that uses bem-bl block library: https://github.com/toivonen/bem-bl-test/blob/master/GNUmakefile

bem decl

bem decl is to work with declaration files. Thus,

• to merge two or more decls into one
• «subtract» decls

All subcommands of bem decl can take either bemdecl.js or deps.js as input declaration formats. as input declaration (via -d flag).

Ouput data (-o flag) is always in deps.js format.

bem decl merge

bem decl merge is to merge two or more decls into one. It is useful if you need, for example, to build one file for several pages.

Create a decl for all the pages

bem decl merge \
    -d pages/index/index.deps.js \
    -d pages/about/about.deps.js \
    -d pages/search/search.deps.js \
    -o pages/common/common.deps.js

bem decl subtract

bem decl subtract is to «subtract» all next decls from the first one. You may use it to create a bundle that you request by application.

Create a decl for a "heavy" block requested by application

bem decl subtract \
    -d bundles/heavy-block/heavy-block.deps.js \
    -d pages/common/common.deps.js \
    -o bundles/heavy-block/heavy-block.bundle.js

bem server

bem server starts a web server which serves static files, dynamic html generated form the BEMHTML and BEMJSON on the fly, and pipes js and css files through borschik.

By default document root is the current directory. You can change that with the --project (-r) parameter. So if you have pages/about/main.css file in the project folder it will be accessible with a browser using http://localhost:8080/pages/about/main.css URL.

The default TCP port the server is listening to is 8080. You can change it with the --port (-p) parameter.

When the server gets a request for some *.html file it will look for appropriate BEMJOSN and BEMHTML files, apply one to another and return the result if both files do exist. The contents of the *.html file will be returned otherwise.

When requested URL corresponds to a directory server checks for index.html file in it and returns the content. If file is not found, index.bemhtml.js and index.bemjson.js are checked for existance and the result of the template application is returned. Otherwise the directory listing is returned.

Tech modules

API

Look for a documentation in source lib/tech.js.

Creating tech module

There are three ways to write a tech module: very simple, simple and advanced.

Whatever manner you use you can get a tech object from this. Any base class is available from this.__base(...). Thanks to inherit module that organizes inheritance here.

Very simple way

You only need to create regular CommonJS module and export some of its functions to redefine them. By default all functions from the base class are put in Tech module lib/tech.js.

Simple way

Besides function, you can also export baseTechPath variable to define an absolute path to a tech module you are extending. By default you are extending Tech class.

For example:

exports.baseTechPath = require.resolve('bem/lib/techs/css');

Advanced way

If you need a total control, you can create a module that exports the whole Tech class.

var INHERIT = require('inherit'),
    BaseTech = require('bem/lib/tech').Tech;

exports.Tech = INHERIT(BaseTech, {

    create: function(prefix, vars, force) {
        // do some creation work
    },

    build: function(prefixes, outputDir, outputName) {
        // organize own build process
    }

});

When you need to base your tech on an existing one written in a simple way use getTechClass() function from bem/lib/tech module to get its class.

var INHERIT = require('inherit'),
    getTechClass = require('bem/lib/tech').getTechClass,
    BaseTech = getTechClass(require.resolve('path/to/tech/module'));

exports.Tech = INHERIT(BaseTech, {

    // your overrides go here

});

Examples of tech modules

• bem-tools/lib/techs/
• bem-bl/blocks-common/i-bem/bem/techs/

API usage

Starting from 0.2.0 version it is possible to use bem-tools from API.

bem module exports the object of a command that has an api property. It is to use in this way:

var Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    techs = ['css', 'js'],
    blocks = ['b-block1', 'b-block2'];

Q.when(BEM.create.block({ forceTech: techs }, { names: blocks }), function() {
    console.log('Create blocks: %s', blocks.join(', '));
});

The example above shows that you can use all the commands (including subcommands).

A command accepts two args:

• Object opts command options
• Object args command arguments

It returns an object of Q.promise type.

BEM.create

Commands to create BEM entities.

BEM.create.level()

Creates a level of defenition.

Options

• String outputDir a directory of output (current directory by default)
• String level a «prototype» of the level
• Boolean force key to force level's creating if it already exists

Arguments

• Array names Namef of levels you are creating

Example

var PATH = require('path'),
    Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    outputDir = PATH.join(__dirname, 'levels'),
    levels = ['blocks-common', 'blocks-desktop'];

Q.when(BEM.create.level({ outputDir: outputDir }, { names: levels }), function() {
    console.log('Create levels %s at %s', levels.join(', '), outputDir);
});

BEM.create.block()

Creates a block.

Options

• String levelDir A directory of block's level. (Current directory by default)
• Array addTech Add the techs listed
• Array forceTech Use these techs only
• Array noTech Exclude these techs
• Boolean force Force files creating

Arguments

• Array names List of block names

Example

var Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    addTechs = ['bemhtml'],
    blocks = ['b-header'];

Q.when(BEM.create.block({ addTech: addTechs }, { names: blocks }), function() {
    console.log('Create blocks: %s', blocks.join(', '));
});

BEM.create.elem()

Creating an element.

Options

• String levelDir A directory of level. (Current directory by default)
• String blockName A name of element's block (required)
• Array addTech Add the techs listed
• Array forceTech Use only the techs listed
• Array noTech Exclude the techs listed
• Boolean force Force creating element's files (to rewrite them)

Arguments

• Array names List of element names

Example

var Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    addTechs = ['bemhtml', 'title.txt'],
    block = 'b-header',
    elems = ['logo'];

Q.when(BEM.create.elem({ addTech: addTechs, blockName: block }, { names: elems }), function() {
    console.log('Create elems %s of block %s', elems.join(', '), block);
});

BEM.create.mod()

Creating a modifier for a block or an element.

Options

• String levelDir Level directory (current directory by default)
• String blockName Block name of this modifier (required)
• String elemName Element name
• Array modVal Modifier vaue
• Array addTech Ad the techs listed
• Array forceTech Use only the techs listed
• Array noTech Exclude the techs listed
• Boolean force Force creating modifier files (rewrite)

Arguments

• Array names List of modifier

Example

var Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    forceTechs = ['css'],
    block = 'b-header',
    elem = 'logo',
    mods = ['lang'],
    vals = ['ru', 'en'];

Q.when(BEM.create.mod({ forceTechs: forceTechs, blockName: block, modVal: vals }, { names: mods }), function() {
    console.log('Create mod %s of block %s with vals %s', elems.join(', '), block, vals.join(', '));
});

Q.when(BEM.create.mod({ forceTechs: forceTechs, blockName: block, elemName: elem, modVal: vals }, { names: elems }), function() {
    console.log('Create mod %s of elem %s of block %s with vals %s', elems.join(', '), elem, block, vals.join(', '));
});

BEM.build()

Build files from blocks.

Options

• String outputDir An output directory (current directory by default)
• String outputName A filename (its prefix) for output
• String declaration A filename of input declaration (required)
• Array level List of levels to use
• Array tech List of techs to build

Example

var Q = require('q'),
    BEM = require('bem').api,

    decl = 'page.deps.js',
    outputDir = 'build',
    outputName = 'page',
    levels = ['blocks-common', 'blocks-desktop'],
    techs = ['css', 'js'];

Q.when(
    BEM.build({
        outputDir: outputDir,
        outputName: outputName,
        declaration: decl,
        level: levels,
        tech: techs
    }),
    function() {
        console.log('Finished build of techs %s for levels %s. Result in %s/%s.* files.',
            techs.join(', '), levels.join(', '), outputDir, outputName);
    }
);

BEM.decl

Commands to work with declarations.

BEM.decl.merge()

Merging two or more declarations into one.

Options

• String output A file for output result. By default output is in STDOUT
• Array declaration List of filenames for declarations (required)

BEM.decl.subtract()

Subtracting the next declarations from the first one.

Options

• String output A file for output result. By default output is in STDOUT
• Array declaration List of filenames for declarations (required)