nx/docs/shared/migration/from-turborepo.md

Migrate from Turborepo to Nx

If you have an existing monorepo that uses Turborepo, switching to use Nx is a straight-forward process. After switching, you'll have cleaner CLI output, a better graph view and IDE support with the option to incorporate Nx plugins and take advantage of the features of an integrated repository. All this without increasing the complexity of your configuration files.

For more details, read our comparison of Nx and Turborepo

Initialize Nx

To switch to Nx, run this command:

npx nx@latest init

The command will ask you three questions.

1. Which scripts need to be run in order?

   Any scripts you select in this step will be set up so project dependencies will be run first. i.e. "dependsOn": "^build"

2. Which scripts are cacheable?

   Any scripts you select in this step will be made cacheable, i.e. the cache property will be set to true (false by default) in the targetDefaults section.

3. For each cacheable script, does it produce output in the file system?

   Any folders identified will be added to the task's outputs. i.e. "outputs": ["{projectRoot}/dist"]

This process adds nx to your package.json at the root of your workspace:

{
  "name": "my-workspace",
  ...
  "devDependencies": {
    ...
    "nx": "17.2.0"
  }
}

It also creates an nx.json based on the answers given during the setup process. This includes cacheable operations as well as some initial definition of the task pipeline.

Convert turbo.json into Nx Configuration

Most of the settings in your turbo.json file can be converted directly into nx.json equivalents. The key configuration properties of dependsOn, inputs and outputs have a very similar syntax and can probably be copied over directly from the turbo.json pipeline into the nx.json targetDefaults.

If you have project-specific tasks defined in the root turbo.json (i.e. myreactapp#build) or in project-level turbo.json files (i.e. /packages/myreactapp/turbo.json), those settings should go in the nx property of the project's package.json (i.e. /packages/myreactapp/package.json).

Specific configuration property conversions are documented below.

Example

Let's say you start with the following turbo.json file:

{
  "$schema": "https://turbo.build/schema.json",
  "pipeline": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["dist/**"]
    },
    "docs#build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "outputs": ["www/**"]
    },
    "test": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "outputs": []
    },
    "e2e": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "outputs": []
    }
  },
  "globalDependencies": ["babel.config.json"]
}

Creating the equivalent configuration with Nx yields the following files:

{% tabs %} {% tab label="Nx >= 17" %}

{
  "$schema": "./node_modules/nx/schemas/nx-schema.json",
  "namedInputs": {
    "sharedGlobals": ["babel.config.json"],
    "default": ["{projectRoot}/**/*", "sharedGlobals"]
  },
  "targetDefaults": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "inputs": ["default"],
      "outputs": ["{projectRoot}/dist"],
      "cache": true
    },
    "test": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "inputs": ["default"],
      "cache": true
    },
    "e2e": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "inputs": ["default"],
      "cache": true
    }
  },
  "nxCloudAccessToken": "..."
}

{% /tab %} {% tab label="Nx < 17" %}

{
  "$schema": "./node_modules/nx/schemas/nx-schema.json",
  "namedInputs": {
    "sharedGlobals": ["babel.config.json"],
    "default": ["{projectRoot}/**/*", "sharedGlobals"]
  },
  "targetDefaults": {
    "build": {
      "dependsOn": ["^build"],
      "inputs": ["default"],
      "outputs": ["{projectRoot}/dist"]
    },
    "test": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "inputs": ["default"]
    },
    "e2e": {
      "dependsOn": ["build"],
      "inputs": ["default"]
    }
  },
  "tasksRunnerOptions": {
    "default": {
      "runner": "nx-cloud",
      "options": {
        "cacheableOperations": ["build", "e2e", "test"],
        "accessToken": "..."
      }
    }
  }
}

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

{
  "name": "docs",
  // etc...
  "nx": {
    "targets": {
      "build": {
        "outputs": ["www/**"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Specific Configuration Property Conversions

For each turbo.json configuration property, the equivalent Nx property is listed.

Global Configuration:
globalDependencies	add to the sharedGlobals namedInput
globalEnv	add to the sharedGlobals namedInput as an env input
globalPassThroughEnv	N/A. See Defining Environment Variables
globalDotEnv	add to the sharedGlobals namedInput

Task Configuration:
extends	N/A. The project configurations will always extend the targetDefaults defined in nx.json.
pipeline[task].dependsOn	Same syntax.
pipeline[task].dotEnv	Define file inputs
pipeline[task].env	Define env inputs
pipeline[task].passThroughEnv	N/A. See Defining Environment Variables
pipeline[task].outputs	Same syntax.
pipeline[task].cache	Define in the nx.json cacheableOperations property
pipeline[task].inputs	Same syntax.
pipeline[task].outputMode	Use the --output-style command line flag
pipeline[task].persistent	N/A.

Command Equivalents

turbo run test lint build	nx run-many -t test lint build
--cache-dir	Set in nx.json under cacheDirectory
--concurrency	--parallel
--continue	Use --nx-bail with the inverse value
--cwd	Available when using the run-commands executor
--dry-run	N/A. Nx has --dry-run for nx generate but not for running tasks.
--env-mode	N/A
--filter	Use -p admin-* or -p tag:api-*. Also see nx affected.
--graph	Same syntax or nx graph for the entire graph
--force	nx reset and then run the command again
--global-deps	Use inputs in the nx.json or project configuration
--framework-inference	Nx knows if you're using a particular framework if you use an executor for that framework.
--ignore	Use an .nxignore file (or .gitignore)
--log-order	Use --output-style
--no-cache	Use --skip-nx-cache
--no-daemon	Use NX_DAEMON=false or set useDaemonProcess: false in nx.json
--output-logs	Use --output-style
--only	N/A
--parallel	N/A
--remote-only	N/A. Can ignore the remote cache with --no-cloud.
--summarize	N/A
--token	Set the Nx Cloud token in nx.json or as an environment variable (NX_CLOUD_ACCESS_TOKEN)
--team	See --token for choosing a different Nx Cloud workspace. You can use --runner to choose a different runner defined in the nx.json file.
--preflight	N/A
--trace	N/A. --verbose for more logging.
--heap	N/A. --verbose for more logging.
--cpuprofile	Use NX_PROFILE=profile.json.
--verbosity	Use --verbose
turbo gen	Use nx generate
turbo login	No need. Use nx connect once to set up Nx Cloud.
turbo link	Use nx connect