Glossary
This is a short list of Nx-specific terms that will help you understand the rest of the documentation.
Terms
Application
A project that can run on its own. Generally uses libraries.
Atomizer
The Atomizer is an Nx Cloud feature that automatically splits tasks so that they can be executed in parallel.
Atomizer automatically splits tasks on Nx Agents, providing you detailed task information in the UI, including interpreted logs and artifacts, automatically grouped by project and workflow.
Buildable Library
A library that has a build target. Some libraries can be generated with a build target using the --buildable flag.
Cache
A mechanism for saving the output of a calculation so it can be replayed later without actually performing the calculation again.
See: Cache Task Results
Cache Hit
When the cache inputs for a task match an existing entry in the cache and the cache outputs can be replayed without actually running the task.
See: Cache Task Results
Cache Inputs
Everything that might change the output of a task. This may include source code, task options, environment variables and other settings determined at run time. These values are combined as a hash to serve as a key for an entry in the cache.
Cache Miss
When the cache inputs for a task do not match an existing entry in the cache and the task needs to be executed.
See: Cache Task Results
Cache Outputs
The terminal output and any file artifacts created by running a task. These values are stored in the cache to be replayed later.
See: Outputs Reference
CIPE (Continuous Integration Pipeline Execution)
CI Pipeline Executions are a grouping mechanism for all Nx and Nx Cloud actions that occur within a single continuous integration pipeline. The Nx Cloud task runner automatically detects when it is running in a CI environment, so this grouping is done automatically. In almost all cases, this detection will be a 1:1 match with your CI provider's concept of a "pipeline" or "workflow".
Command
Anything you run in the terminal. An example command that invokes a task is nx build my-app.
See: Run Tasks
Configurations
A set of preconfigured options for a target that should be enabled altogether. For example, a production configuration would set all the options needed for a build that could be deployed to production.
Distributed Task Execution
A system for running tasks in CI across multiple agent processes across many machines. Nx Agents enables distributed task execution on agent machines that are managed by Nx.
Executor
A script that performs some action on your code. This can include building, linting, testing, serving and many other actions. A target configuration specifies an executor and a set of options. Executors can be found in plugins.
Flaky Tasks
Tasks that will sometimes succeed and sometimes fail without any change to the inputs. These tasks are often e2e tests and are particularly problematic in CI. Nx Cloud automatically detects flaky tasks and re-runs them.
Generator
A script that creates or modifies your code. Generators can be found in plugins.
See: Use Code Generators
Graph
A computer science concept that consists of nodes connected by edges. In the Nx context, there are two graphs: the project graph which describes dependencies between projects and the task graph which describes dependencies between tasks.
See: Explore the Graph
Integrated Repository
A repository using Nx plugins to boost efficiency and ease of maintenance.
Launch Template
Launch Templates are used to set up an agent machine. They specify a resource class, an image and a series of set up steps before tasks are executed on that machine.
See: Launch Templates
Library
A project that is used by applications or other libraries.
Monolith
A large application that is difficult to separate into smaller pieces.
Monorepo
A repository with multiple projects.
See: monorepo.tools
Nested Project
A project that is located in a sub-folder of another project. This was made possible in Nx 15.3.
Nx Agents
A paid service that hosts and manages customizable worker machines to run parts of your CI pipeline faster and cheaper than a traditional CI provider. When possible, Nx Agents uses distributed task execution to optimize your pipeline.
Nx Cloud
The umbrella term for all CI-related products that Nx provides.
See: CI with Nx
Nx Replay
Nx Replay is the product offered by Nx Cloud that enables remote caching.
See: Use Remote Caching
Package
A project. It is sometimes published as an npm package.
Package-based Repository
A repository using Nx without plugins that prioritizes the independence of the separate packages. Nx is added to the repo without significantly affecting the file structure or build settings.
Plugin
A set of executors, generators and other code that extends the functionality of Nx. May be installed from a package manager like NPM or developed directly in the repository.
Polyrepo
Related projects spread across multiple repositories.
Project
The unit of code on which a task can be run. A project can be an application or a library.
Publishable Library
A library that has a publish target. Some libraries can be generated with a publish target using the --publishable flag.
Remote Cache
A cache that can be shared between all developers using the repo and the CI system. This product is called Nx Replay.
See: Share Your Cache
Root-Level Project
A project that has its own root folder at the root of the repository. Every other project in the repo is a nested project.
Run
Runs in Nx Cloud are Nx commands that result in some number of Tasks being performed.
nx run my-app:buildis a run that performs a single tasknx run-many -t test,buildis a run that performs many tasks.nx affected -t test,buildis a run that performs zero to many tasks.
When a run exists in a CI environment, Nx Cloud will automatically associate it with the appropriate Run Group and CI Pipeline Execution
Run Group
Run groups are a more specific grouping mechanism for Nx and Nx Cloud actions, and exist as children within a single CI Pipeline Execution. Typically, run groups are used when there are different hardware requirements (ex: a Linux run group, and a MacOS run group) for the different commands.
When using Distributed Task Execution, Nx Agents can only belong to a single run group. This means each additional run group requires its own pool of agents.
Standalone Repository
A repository with a single application at the root level. This set up is made possible in Nx 15.3.
Target
The name of an action taken on a project.
See: Run Tasks
Task
An invocation of a target on a specific project.
See: Run Tasks
Task Pipeline
The set of dependencies between tasks that ensure that tasks are run in the correct order.
Workspace
A git repository. An Nx workspace is a git repository using Nx.