node.jsphantomjscasperjsnode-modulesspookyjs

Impossible to install spookyjs


I want to install spookyjs and find it impossible to do so. I've tried three different ways:

  1. Run the standard spookyjs package.json provided in spookyjs github. Then I try to run hello.js and I am greeted with this error.

       C:\Users\User1\Desktop\test2>node hello.js
    events.js:183
          throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
          ^
    
    Error: spawn casperjs ENOENT
        at _errnoException (util.js:1022:11)
        at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:190:19)
        at onErrorNT (internal/child_process.js:372:16)
        at _combinedTickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:138:11)
        at process._tickCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:180:9)
        at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:695:11)
        at startup (bootstrap_node.js:188:16)
        at bootstrap_node.js:609:3
    
  2. Installed phantomjs and casperjs globally and package.json installed spooky and tiny-jsonrpc. I get the same error message.

  3. Installed these dependencies from package.json

    "dependencies": {
        "spooky": "^0.2.5",
        "tiny-jsonrpc": "^2.0.1",
        "phantom": "^4.0.12",
        "casperjs": "^1.1.4"
    

I get the same error.


Solution

  • I came across this link: Issue

    and it detailed the solution. That is this chunk of code:

    const
      path = require('path'),
      _ = require('underscore')
    ;
    var
      // close env to pass to spawn
      env = _.clone(process.env),
      // get the PATH - in my local Windows, it was Path
      envPath = env.PATH || env.Path,
      // get path to node_modules folder where casperjs and
      // phantomjs-prebuilt are installed
      // this will be different for you
      binDir = path.join(__dirname, './../../node_modules/.bin'),
      Spooky = require('spooky')
    ;
    // update the path in the cloned env
    env.PATH = env.Path = `${envPath};${binDir}`;
    
    
    var spooky = new Spooky({
      child: {
        // spooky is trying to call casperjs.bat for windows
        // .bat doesn't work, so call the update .cmd file
        // this fixes issue 2 with the file
        command: /^win/.test(process.platform) ? 'casperjs.cmd' : 'casperjs',
        transport: 'http' ,
        spawnOptions: {
          // set the env using cloned version
          // this fixes issue 1 with the path
          env: env
        }
      },
      ... 
    

    So now the program runs without an error. Actually though it runs without anything, because while on the one hand no error pops up, on the other nothing pops up. I debbuged by putting console.log() inside spooky's callback function but nothing is displayed. That is for another question though...

    But the error i was receiving has vanished and the interpreter runs the code.