NodeSchedule

NodeSchedule, commonly referred to as node-schedule, is a scheduling library for Node.js that provides cron-like and date-based job scheduling. It enables you to run functions at a specific time or on a recurring basis, inside a single Node.js process. The library is designed to be lightweight and easy to use for background tasks, maintenance, or periodic work.

Scheduling a job is done with schedule.scheduleJob(rule, callback). The rule can be a Date object for a one-time execution, a RecurrenceRule object for complex recurring patterns, or a cron-style string for familiar cron syntax. This flexibility allows a single API surface for different scheduling needs, from a one-off reminder to every Tuesday at 3:15 pm.

A RecurrenceRule may specify fields such as second, minute, hour, date, month, year, and dayOfWeek, with each field accepting a single value or an array of values. Cron strings supported by node-schedule can use common cron formats, typically including 5 or 6 fields (with or without a seconds field), depending on the expression and library version.

Execution and lifecycle: Jobs are kept in memory while the process runs. They trigger when their schedule matches the system time. A scheduled job can be canceled with job.cancel() or rescheduled with job.reschedule(newRule). This makes it suitable for in-process task scheduling but not for long-term persistence or cross-process coordination.

Installation and usage notes: NodeSchedule is installed via npm install node-schedule. It is intended for server-side Node.js environments; for persistent or distributed scheduling, complementary solutions or external storage may be required. It is commonly used for periodic maintenance tasks, notifications, or lightweight background jobs in web applications.