Issues with WAB when updating Node.JS ?

[MaximeDemers]

Hi,

We have two installations of WAB (version 2.7 and 2.9) on a same server and an installation of Node.JS version 6.9.1 used by both WAB.

I would need to update Node.JS and npm to the latest version, but I wonder if this will cause problems with our WAB installations.

Is there a special procedure to follow when updating Node.JS?

Thank you!

Maxime D.

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Maxime,

   So you changed the startup.bat code to specify that your WAB install should use the local Node.js you have on your machine? Normally WAB will just use the node.js packaged with WAB.

[MaximeDemers]

I have not installed the Node.JS LTS yet, I don't want to broke anything...

The reason I would like to update Node.JS is to be able to use GitHub - Esri/generator-esri-appbuilder-js: Yeoman generator to help customize Esri's WebAppBuilder 

It does not support Node.JS 6

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

So installing Node.js will not affect WAB at all since you have to tell WAB to use a different version of Node.js or it will just use the one packaged with WAB.

[MaximeDemers]

I see this line in both startup.bat files:

IF DEFINED PROGRAMFILES(X86) (SET nodeFile=node_x64.exe) ELSE (SET nodeFile=node_x86.exe)‍

I suppose it means that our WAB installations are using the Node.JS x64 located in Program Files which is the 6.9.1 version.

As it's not me that have installed WAB, I cannot confirm that those startup.bat were not modified.

As it's not possible to install two versions of Node.JS on a computer, I am not sure if it is safe to update it to the latest version. 

[RobertScheitlin__GISP · Accepted solution]

Maxime,

  Since WAB uses it own Node.js ([install dir]\server\node_x64.exe) it does not use and knows nothing about any other Node.js installed on your machine unless you specifically modify the startup.bat to make it use another Node.js.

[MaximeDemers]

Ok I see!

Now I understand what you meaned by own Node.js. So the Node.Js installed in the Program Files dir is not related to WAB at all.

Thank you again for your help Robert