fivem-bundler

A build-time compiler for FiveM Lua resources. Scans client/ and server/ directories, resolves require() and lib.require() calls via AST analysis, and outputs single-file bundles that inject all modules into package.preload.

Install

npm i -g fivem-bundler
# or without installing
npx fivem-bundler <resource-root> [output-dir]

Usage

fivem-bundler <resource-root> [output-dir]

output-dir defaults to <resource-root>/dist.

Examples:

# Bundle resource in current directory, output to ./dist
fivem-bundler .

# Bundle with explicit output path
fivem-bundler ./my-resource ./my-resource/dist

# Use npx without installing
npx fivem-bundler ./my-resource

# Mark framework adapters as lazy (bundled but not auto-executed)
fivem-bundler ./my-resource --lazy "server/frameworks/**"
fivem-bundler ./my-resource --lazy "client/legacy.lua"

Options

Flag	Description
--lazy <pattern>	Mark matching files as lazy. Can be used multiple times.
--debug	Enable debug output (stack traces on error)
--version, -v	Show version number
--help, -h	Show help message

Resource Structure

The bundler supports two discovery modes, chosen automatically:

Directory mode (client/ and server/ folders exist)

my-resource/
├─ client/
│  ├─ main.lua
│  └─ modules/
│     └─ targeting.lua
├─ server/
│  ├─ main.lua
│  └─ modules/
│     └─ database.lua
└─ shared/             # optional, bundled into both client and server
   └─ config.lua

All .lua files under client/, server/, and shared/ are discovered recursively. No fixed layout within those directories is required.

Manifest mode (no client/ or server/ folders)

When client/ and server/ directories don't exist, the bundler reads fxmanifest.lua to determine which files belong to which runtime:

my-resource/
├─ fxmanifest.lua
├─ main_client.lua
├─ main_server.lua
├─ config.lua
└─ modules/
   └─ utils.lua

-- fxmanifest.lua
client_scripts { 'main_client.lua', 'modules/*.lua' }
server_scripts { 'main_server.lua', 'modules/*.lua' }
shared_script 'config.lua'

External resource scripts (prefixed with @) are automatically skipped.

Output:

dist/
├─ client.lua
└─ server.lua

Point your fxmanifest.lua at these files:

client_script 'dist/client.lua'
server_script 'dist/server.lua'

Module IDs

Module IDs are derived from file paths relative to the side root:

File	Module ID
client/main.lua	"main"
client/modules/targeting.lua	"modules.targeting"
server/modules/database.lua	"modules.database"

Require by module ID — both forms are supported:

local targeting = require("modules.targeting")
local targeting = lib.require("modules.targeting")

Arguments must be static string literals. Dynamic requires (require(someVar)) are a hard error.

How Bundling Works

Each bundle file contains:

1. package.preload assignments — every module is wrapped in a function and registered:

   package.preload["modules.targeting"] = function()
     -- original module source
   end

2. Entry file execution — files not required by any other module are executed directly at the bottom, in deterministic order.

Lua's built-in require() checks package.preload automatically, so no custom loader is needed. If ox_lib is loaded, lib.require() also resolves from package.preload. Circular dependencies are supported — Lua (and ox_lib) handle them at runtime.

Lazy Configuration

Some files should be bundled (available via require()) but not auto-executed as entry points. These are called lazy modules — they only run when another module explicitly requires them. This is useful for framework adapters, optional features, or conditional code paths.

Config file

Place a bundler.config.json in your resource root:

{
  "outputDir": "dist",
  "lazy": {
    "folders": ["**/frameworks/**"],
    "files": ["client/legacy.lua"]
  }
}

CLI flags

fivem-bundler ./my-resource --lazy "server/frameworks/**"
fivem-bundler ./my-resource --lazy "client/optional.lua" --lazy "server/adapters/**"

Patterns without a file extension are treated as folder patterns. CLI flags merge with config file values — they don't replace them.

What "lazy" means

Behavior	Normal files	Lazy files
Bundled into package.preload	Yes	Yes
Auto-executed as entry point	Yes (if not required by others)	No
Available via require()	Yes	Yes

Requirements

• Node.js >= 18 (or Bun)

ox_lib (optional)

ox_lib is not required — bundles use package.preload, which works with Lua's built-in require(). If your resource uses ox_lib, load it as usual:

shared_script '@ox_lib/init.lua'

Both require() and lib.require() resolve from package.preload automatically.

Development

bun install
bun run build        # Compile TypeScript
bun test             # Run all tests (64 tests)
bun run typecheck    # Type-check without emit

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Run bun test — all tests must pass
5. Run bun run build — must compile cleanly
6. Open a pull request

License

MIT