Pros and cons of nx.dev based project

Nx.dev is a popular set of tools that are designed to help developers manage monorepos, i.e., large codebases with multiple interdependent projects. Here are some pros and cons of using Nx.dev:

Pros:

• Scalability: Nx.dev is designed to help you manage large and complex monorepos with ease. It provides tools for generating new projects, setting up CI/CD pipelines, and more.
• Reusability: Nx.dev promotes code reuse by allowing you to share code between different projects within the monorepo. This can help reduce the amount of code you need to write and maintain.
• Improved developer productivity: Nx.dev provides a number of tools to help developers be more productive, such as automatic code formatting, linting, and testing.
• Comprehensive documentation: Nx.dev has excellent documentation that covers all aspects of the toolset, making it easy to learn and use.

Cons:

• Learning curve: Nx.dev can be complex and overwhelming for developers who are new to monorepos. There is a learning curve involved in understanding the toolset and how to use it effectively.
• Toolchain limitations: While Nx.dev provides a comprehensive set of tools, there may be limitations to what you can do with them. If you require a specific tool or functionality that isn't supported by Nx.dev, you may need to use additional tools or build your own custom solutions.
• Configuration overhead: Nx.dev requires a fair amount of configuration to set up, which can be time-consuming and tedious. This may be particularly challenging for smaller projects where the overhead of setting up Nx.dev may outweigh the benefits.

Here are some code examples that demonstrate the benefits of using nx.dev over a multiple repo approach.

Shared library example:

Let’s say you have two projects, Project A and Project B. Both projects use a common library, my-shared-lib. With a multiple repo approach, you would need to manage my-shared-lib as a separate repository, and then reference it as a dependency in both Project A and Project B. This can be time-consuming and error-prone, as you need to ensure that the versions of the library used in each project are compatible with each other.

With nx.dev, you can create a shared library within your workspace, and then reference it directly from both Project A and Project B. This allows you to manage the library as a single entity, and ensures that the version used in each project is always in sync with the others.

Here’s an example of how this might look in an angular.json file:

{
  "projects": {
    "project-a": {
      ...
      "architect": {
        "build": {
          ...
          "options": {
            ...
            "dependencies": [
              { "target": "my-shared-lib:build" }
            ]
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "project-b": {
      ...
      "architect": {
        "build": {
          ...
          "options": {
            ...
            "dependencies": [
              { "target": "my-shared-lib:build" }
            ]
          }
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "targets": {
    "my-shared-lib": {
      "projectType": "library",
      "root": "libs/my-shared-lib",
      "architect": {
        "build": {
          ...
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Dependency graph example:

With a multiple repo approach, it can be difficult to visualize the dependencies between your projects, and to ensure that they are all in sync. For example, if you have Project A that depends on Project B, and Project B that depends on Project C, you need to ensure that any changes made to Project C are propagated to both Project A and Project B.

With nx.dev, you can use the built-in dependency graph feature to visualize the dependencies between your projects, and to ensure that they are all in sync. This makes it easier to make changes to your codebase, as you can see at a glance which projects will be affected by the change.

Here’s an example of what the dependency graph might look like:

$ nx dep-graph

         ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐         
         │                                                       │         
         │                                                       │         
         │                                                       ▼         
┌──────────────────┐       ┌──────────────────┐           ┌──────────────────┐
│ Project A        │       │ Project B        │           │ Project C        │
│                  │       │                  │           │                  │
│ Depends on:      │       │ Depends on:      │           │ Depends on:      │
│   Project B      │       │   Project C      │           │                  │
│                  │       │                  │           │                  │
└──────────────────┘       └──────────────────┘           └──────────────────┘

Overall, Nx.dev is a powerful set of tools that can be very useful for managing monorepos. However, it may not be the best choice for smaller projects or for developers who are new to monorepos. It's important to carefully consider the pros and cons before deciding whether to use Nx.dev for your project.