Used to launch a new process and execute a command. It streams the input/output data of the child process (stdout and stderr) in real-time.
Returns: A object, with access to stdout and stderr as streams.
The result of the spawn function is a child process instance that implements EventEmitterAPI.
Suitable for handling large amounts of data because it streams results
Gives you fine-grained control over the child process's input/output.
Use it when you need to run a command, and you expect real-time output (e.g., streaming logs from a CLI tool).
0-2 years experience
2-5 years experience
The child_process.spawnSync() function provides equivalent functionality in a synchronous manner that blocks the event loop until the spawned process either exits or is terminated.
Handlers for events can be attached or registered to the child instance created.
The spawn method is used to create child processes for long-lived, I/O-intensive tasks. It's more efficient than exec for processes that need to stream data.
The child_process.spawn() method spawns the child process asynchronously, without blocking the Node.js event loop.
5-8 years experience
8+ years experience
