This guide shows you how to handle real-time output from commands, processes, and code execution.
Use streaming when you need:
- Real-time feedback - Show progress as it happens
- Long-running operations - Builds, tests, installations that take time
- Interactive applications - Chat bots, code execution, live demos
- Large output - Process output incrementally instead of all at once
- User experience - Prevent users from waiting with no feedback
Use non-streaming (exec()) for:
- Quick operations - Commands that complete in seconds
- Small output - When output fits easily in memory
- Post-processing - When you need complete output before processing
Use execStream() to get real-time output:
import { getSandbox, parseSSEStream } from "@cloudflare/sandbox";
const sandbox = getSandbox(env.Sandbox, "my-sandbox");
const stream = await sandbox.execStream("npm run build");
for await (const event of parseSSEStream(stream)) {
switch (event.type) {
case "stdout":
console.log(event.data);
break;
case "stderr":
console.error(event.data);
break;
case "complete":
console.log("Exit code:", event.exitCode);
break;
case "error":
console.error("Failed:", event.error);
break;
}
}import { getSandbox, parseSSEStream, type ExecEvent } from '@cloudflare/sandbox';
const sandbox = getSandbox(env.Sandbox, 'my-sandbox');
const stream = await sandbox.execStream('npm run build');
for await (const event of parseSSEStream<ExecEvent>(stream)) {
switch (event.type) {
case 'stdout':
console.log(event.data);
break;
case 'stderr':
console.error(event.data);
break;
case 'complete':
console.log('Exit code:', event.exitCode);
break;
case 'error':
console.error('Failed:', event.error);
break;
}
}Return streaming output to users via Server-Sent Events:
import { getSandbox } from "@cloudflare/sandbox";
export { Sandbox } from "@cloudflare/sandbox";
export default {
async fetch(request, env) {
const sandbox = getSandbox(env.Sandbox, "builder");
const stream = await sandbox.execStream("npm run build");
return new Response(stream, {
headers: {
"Content-Type": "text/event-stream",
"Cache-Control": "no-cache",
},
});
},
};import { getSandbox } from '@cloudflare/sandbox';
export { Sandbox } from '@cloudflare/sandbox';
export default {
async fetch(request: Request, env: Env): Promise<Response> {
const sandbox = getSandbox(env.Sandbox, 'builder');
const stream = await sandbox.execStream('npm run build');
return new Response(stream, {
headers: {
'Content-Type': 'text/event-stream',
'Cache-Control': 'no-cache'
}
});
}
};Client-side consumption:
// Browser JavaScript
const eventSource = new EventSource("/build");
eventSource.addEventListener("stdout", (event) => {
const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
console.log(data.data);
});
eventSource.addEventListener("complete", (event) => {
const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
console.log("Exit code:", data.exitCode);
eventSource.close();
});// Browser JavaScript
const eventSource = new EventSource('/build');
eventSource.addEventListener('stdout', (event) => {
const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
console.log(data.data);
});
eventSource.addEventListener('complete', (event) => {
const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
console.log('Exit code:', data.exitCode);
eventSource.close();
});Monitor background process output:
import { parseSSEStream } from "@cloudflare/sandbox";
const process = await sandbox.startProcess("node server.js");
const logStream = await sandbox.streamProcessLogs(process.id);
for await (const log of parseSSEStream(logStream)) {
console.log(log.data);
if (log.data.includes("Server listening")) {
console.log("Server is ready");
break;
}
}import { parseSSEStream, type LogEvent } from '@cloudflare/sandbox';
const process = await sandbox.startProcess('node server.js');
const logStream = await sandbox.streamProcessLogs(process.id);
for await (const log of parseSSEStream<LogEvent>(logStream)) {
console.log(log.data);
if (log.data.includes('Server listening')) {
console.log('Server is ready');
break;
}
}Check exit codes and handle stream errors:
const stream = await sandbox.execStream("npm run build");
for await (const event of parseSSEStream(stream)) {
switch (event.type) {
case "stdout":
console.log(event.data);
break;
case "error":
throw new Error(`Build failed: ${event.error}`);
case "complete":
if (event.exitCode !== 0) {
throw new Error(`Build failed with exit code ${event.exitCode}`);
}
break;
}
}const stream = await sandbox.execStream('npm run build');
for await (const event of parseSSEStream<ExecEvent>(stream)) {
switch (event.type) {
case 'stdout':
console.log(event.data);
break;
case 'error':
throw new Error(`Build failed: ${event.error}`);
case 'complete':
if (event.exitCode !== 0) {
throw new Error(`Build failed with exit code ${event.exitCode}`);
}
break;
}
}- Always consume streams - Don't let streams hang unconsumed
- Handle all event types - Process stdout, stderr, complete, and error events
- Check exit codes - Non-zero exit codes indicate failure
- Provide feedback - Show progress to users for long operations
- Commands API reference - Complete streaming API
- Execute commands guide - Command execution patterns
- Background processes guide - Process log streaming
- Code Interpreter guide - Stream code execution output