Bun Runtime Workflows

Leverage Bun's integrated toolkit for faster development. From one-off commands with bunx to optimizing monorepos, master the workflows that keep full-stack teams moving.

Why Bun?

Bun is a complete toolkit in a single binary:

• Runtime — JavaScript/TypeScript execution (4x faster Node startup)
• Package Manager — Replaces npm/yarn (faster installs)
• Bundler — Built-in code bundling
• Test Runner — Native test framework (no external runners)

All in one. No configuration. No separate tools.

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1. bunx: No Global Installs

Replace globally installed CLI tools with bunx. Each command runs the latest version without cluttering your environment.

Pattern: Use bunx Instead of Global npm

# ❌ Old way (npm)
npm install -g eslint
npx eslint .

# ✅ New way (Bun)
bunx eslint .
bunx eslint --fix .

# Always uses latest version, no global pollution

Common bunx Commands

# Create projects
bunx create-vite@latest my-app --template react-ts
bunx create-next-app@latest my-blog

# Run tools
bunx eslint . --fix
bunx prettier . --write
bunx tsc --noEmit

# Utilities
bunx tsx script.ts          # Run TypeScript directly
bunx esbuild app.ts         # Bundle app
bunx http-server .          # Quick HTTP server

Why bunx?

• No global cluttering — Each tool installs to temp directory
• Version consistency — Everyone uses the latest (or pinned) version
• Faster — No global npm cache to manage
• Reproducible — Same versions across developers and CI

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2. Bun Workspaces: Monorepo Management

Define workspaces in root package.json for seamless monorepo management.

Setup

{
  "name": "my-workspace",
  "private": true,
  "workspaces": [
    "packages/*",
    "apps/*",
    "plugins/*"
  ]
}

Directory Structure

my-workspace/
├── package.json              # Root (defines workspaces)
├── packages/
│   ├── core/                # Shared library
│   │   ├── package.json
│   │   └── src/
│   └── utils/
│       ├── package.json
│       └── src/
├── apps/
│   ├── web/                 # Next.js app
│   │   ├── package.json
│   │   └── src/
│   └── mobile/              # React Native
│       ├── package.json
│       └── src/
└── plugins/                 # Claude Code plugins
    ├── my-plugin/
    │   ├── package.json
    │   └── src/

Cross-Workspace Dependencies

Use workspace:* protocol for local dependencies:

{
  "name": "@myapp/web",
  "dependencies": {
    "@myapp/core": "workspace:*",
    "@myapp/utils": "workspace:*"
  }
}

Benefits:

• Automatic linking (no npm install needed)
• Changes to packages/* update immediately
• Single bun install in root
• No node_modules duplication

Workspace Commands

# Install all dependencies
bun install

# Run script in specific workspace
bun --filter web run dev

# Run test in all workspaces with changes
bun test --recursive

# List workspaces
bun workspaces list

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3. Lockfile Management: Reproducibility

Bun creates a binary lockfile (bun.lockb) for fast, reliable builds.

Key Practices

# Generate lockfile
bun install

# Commit bun.lockb to git
git add bun.lockb
git commit -m "chore: update dependencies"

# CI: Install with frozen lockfile
bun install --frozen-lockfile

# Production: Skip dev dependencies
bun install --production

Why bun.lockb?

• Fast to parse — Binary format (faster than JSON)
• Reliable — Exact versions always reproduced
• Smaller — More compact than package-lock.json
• Deterministic — Same install on every machine

Dependency Pinning

{
  "dependencies": {
    "react": "^18.2.0",      // Patch updates ok
    "typescript": "5.7.2"    // Exact version (no updates)
  }
}

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4. Bun Built-In Tools: Bundling & Testing

Bundling with Bun

# Bundle with default settings
bun build ./src/index.ts --outdir=./dist

# Minify and split chunks
bun build ./src/index.ts --minify --splitting

# Watch mode
bun build ./src/index.ts --watch

Testing with Bun's Test Runner

# Run all tests
bun test

# Run specific test file
bun test src/math.test.ts

# Watch mode (rerun on changes)
bun test --watch

# Coverage
bun test --coverage

No separate test runner needed. It's built in.

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5. Performance Optimization

Startup Time

Bun has 4x faster startup than Node:

# Node.js
time node script.js
# real    0m0.345s

# Bun
time bun script.ts
# real    0m0.085s

Why?

• Written in Rust (not C++)
• JavaScriptCore engine (Apple's, highly optimized)
• Single binary (no bootstrapping overhead)
• Native TypeScript support (no transpile step)

Optimization Tips

1. Use bunfig.toml for config:

[run]
logLevel = "error"

1. Minimize imports — Each import has a cost
2. Use native modules — Bun's fs, path, etc.
3. Avoid transpilation — Bun handles TypeScript natively

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6. Practical Workflows

Workflow 1: Monorepo Development

# Install all dependencies
bun install

# Run dev server for web app
bun --filter web run dev

# Run tests for changed packages
bun test --recursive

# Build everything
bun --filter "*" run build

Workflow 2: Creating CLI Tools

# Create new CLI package
mkdir packages/my-cli
cd packages/my-cli

# Create package.json with bin entry
cat > package.json << EOF
{
  "name": "@myapp/my-cli",
  "bin": {
    "my-cli": "./src/cli.ts"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "test": "bun test"
  }
}
EOF

# Back in root
bun install

# Test CLI from anywhere
bun my-cli --help

Workflow 3: Scripts and Utilities

# scripts/deploy.ts (executable)
#!/usr/bin/env bun
import { $ } from "bun";

const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || "staging";
console.log(`Deploying to ${env}...`);

await $`git push origin main`;
await $`bun --filter web run build`;
await $`vercel deploy --prod`;

console.log("✅ Deployed!");

# Run it
chmod +x scripts/deploy.ts
./scripts/deploy.ts

---

7. Integration Patterns

With Next.js

# bunx create-next-app + Bun
bunx create-next-app@latest my-app --bun
cd my-app

# Next.js + Bun
bun run dev
bun run build
bun start

With Vite

# Create Vite project
bunx create-vite@latest my-app --template react

cd my-app

# Use Bun
bun install
bun run dev
bun run build

With TypeScript

# No configuration needed
bun run my-script.ts

# Watch mode
bun --watch src/index.ts

# Type checking (in CI)
bunx tsc --noEmit

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Common Pitfalls

❌ Don't

• Use npm inside a Bun project — Use bun instead
• Ignore bun.lockb — It's critical for reproducibility
• Forget workspace protocol — Use workspace:* for local deps
• Mix package managers — Stick to Bun (no npm, yarn, pnpm)
• Assume Node.js compatibility — Most packages work, but test edge cases

✅ Do

• Use bun install — Faster, lockb is optimized
• Commit bun.lockb — It's tiny, git-friendly
• Use bunx — For one-off commands
• Leverage workspaces — For monorepos
• Test with bun test — Native, no config needed

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Checklist: Setting Up a Bun Project

• Use bun create or bunx to scaffold
• Run bun install (creates bun.lockb)
• Add .bunfig.toml if custom config needed
• Add bun.lockb to git
• Use bun run for scripts
• Use bun test for testing
• Use bunx for one-off tools
• Document Bun setup in README
• Test on target Node version (if needed)

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Performance Comparison

Task	Node.js	Bun
Startup	0.3s	0.08s
Install (100 packages)	45s	8s
Test run	2.3s	1.1s
Build (esbuild equiv.)	1.5s	0.4s

Bun is 4-10x faster for typical full-stack workflows.

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Resources

Official Docs

• Bun Documentation
• Package Manager
• Bundler
• Test Runner

Useful Commands

bun --help                 # All commands
bun install --help         # Install options
bun run --help             # Run options
bun test --help            # Test options

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Related Skills

• Bun CLI Development — Building CLIs with Bun
• Monorepo Management — Advanced workspace patterns
• Performance Optimization — Profiling and tuning
• Git Workflows — Committing lockfiles reliably

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FAQ

Q: Is Bun production-ready? A: Yes, for most use cases. Check Bun's compatibility for your specific packages.

Q: Should I switch from Node.js? A: For new projects, yes. For existing, evaluate package compatibility first.

Q: Will my npm packages work? A: Most do. Bun is npm-compatible. Test critical dependencies first.

Q: How do I handle CI/CD with Bun? A: Install Bun in CI, use bun install --frozen-lockfile, then bun run.

Q: Can I use Bun with monorepos? A: Absolutely. Workspaces make monorepos effortless.

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Last Updated: 2025-12-05 Status: Reference Implementation Related: BUN_CLI_STANDARD.md, Bun Documentation