# dsherret/dax

Cross-platform shell tools for Deno and Node.js inspired by zx.

Repository: https://github.com/dsherret/dax
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dax
Homepage: https://dax.land
Language: TypeScript
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-07-11T21:25:37+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 94/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 92, release rhythm 92, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1516, "days_push": 53, "days_rel": 53, "gap_med": 11.0, "n_releases_24m": 19}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1493, forks 41 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:52.758035+00:00)

## What it is
Dax is a TypeScript library providing cross-platform shell scripting tools for Deno and Node.js, inspired by zx. It offers a template-literal `$` API for spawning processes with a built-in cross-platform shell, plus prompts, HTTP requests, progress bars, and a Path API.

## Use cases
- write shell scripts in TypeScript that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- spawn subprocesses and capture their output in Deno or Node.js
- replace bash scripts with portable JavaScript automation
- build deployment or build scripts with prompts and progress bars
- make HTTP requests and run shell commands in one script
- avoid shell quoting and injection bugs when interpolating arguments

## When to choose
- you want a zx-like scripting experience with better Windows support
- you need shell scripts that behave identically across platforms
- you want built-in commands, prompts, and requests without extra dependencies
- you prefer minimal globals and a library usable in application code

## When to avoid
- you only target POSIX systems and prefer plain bash
- you need a full POSIX shell with all standard utilities
- you want a CLI runner rather than a library
- your project does not use Deno or Node.js

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: active
- function: cli, developer-tools, workflow-automation, http-client, file-system
- domain: developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: cross-platform, cli
- tags: shell-scripting, process-spawning, zx-alternative, typescript, command-line, automation, deno, nodejs

## Member repositories
- dsherret/dax (main) score 94

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:52.758035+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:33:26.630195+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/dsherret/dax (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:52.758035+00:00, sha 0b8abe0719b3)
  - homepage: https://dax.land (fetched 2026-08-29T11:39:21.011687+00:00, sha 3d503216743a)
  - registry_npm: https://registry.npmjs.org/dax (fetched 2026-08-29T11:39:21.021850+00:00, sha 475c8b4b589b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.