# Where Are the Generated Files in Automattic/harper? A Complete Guide to Build Outputs > Locate generated files in Automattic/harper. Discover build output locations in target and dist directories. Get your Rust and JavaScript components built efficiently. - Repository: [Automattic/harper](https://github.com/Automattic/harper) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-26 --- **Generated files in the Automattic/harper monorepo are deliberately excluded from version control and produced on-demand during the build process, appearing in `target/` for Rust components and `dist/` (or `build/`) directories for JavaScript packages.** The Harper grammar checker is organized as a multi-language monorepo containing Rust core libraries, WebAssembly bindings, browser extensions, and web applications. Because these build artifacts are listed in `.gitignore`, they do not appear in the GitHub file tree; instead, they materialize locally when you execute the appropriate build commands according to the Automattic/harper source code. ## Rust Core Artifacts: The `target/` Directory The Rust workspace defined in [`Cargo.toml`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/Cargo.toml) at the repository root outputs compiled binaries to standard Cargo directories that vary by build profile. ### Debug Builds Running `cargo build` compiles development versions of `harper-core`, `harper-cli`, and `harper-wasm` into **`target/debug/`**. This directory contains unoptimized binaries including the `harper-cli` executable and the `harper-wasm.wasm` file used for WebAssembly development. ### Release Builds For optimized production artifacts, `cargo build --release` writes files to **`target/release/`**. As implemented in Automattic/harper, these folders hold the final compiled binaries intended for distribution and deployment. ## JavaScript and TypeScript Package Outputs JavaScript packages across the workspace follow a consistent pattern defined in their respective [`package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/package.json) files, emitting bundles to local `dist/` directories when you run `pnpm run build`. ### The `dist/` Convention for Library Packages Each package writes its build output into a `dist/` folder at the package root: - **`packages/harper.js/dist/`** – Contains the ESM bundle and accompanying WebAssembly file produced by the build script in [`packages/harper.js/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/harper.js/package.json). - **`packages/chrome-plugin/dist/`** – Holds the compiled Chrome and Firefox extension files, including the manifest and bundled JavaScript, ready for browser loading. - **`packages/wordpress-plugin/dist/`** – Stores the built WordPress plugin assets generated by the scripts defined in [`packages/wordpress-plugin/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/wordpress-plugin/package.json). ### Web Application Static Files The documentation site in `packages/web` uses Vite as configured in [`packages/web/vite.config.ts`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/web/vite.config.ts). Running `pnpm run build` generates: - **`packages/web/.vite/`** – Vite's internal cache directory containing intermediate processing data. - **`packages/web/dist/`** – The static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files that are served on writewithharper.com. ## Desktop Application Bundles The Tauri-based desktop application builds through commands defined in the `justfile`. Executing `just build-desktop-linux` or `just build-desktop-macos` emits platform-specific installable bundles (such as AppImage for Linux or DMG for macOS) into **`harper-desktop/target/release/bundle/`**. These generated paths remain excluded from source control while containing the final distributable applications. ## How to Generate These Files Locally Run these commands from the repository root to produce the respective build artifacts: ```bash # Rust core libraries, CLI, and WASM cargo build # → target/debug/ cargo build --release # → target/release/ # JavaScript/TypeScript packages (requires pnpm) pnpm install # Install workspace dependencies once pnpm run build # Runs build scripts across all packages, producing dist/ # Individual package examples cd packages/harper.js && pnpm run build # → packages/harper.js/dist/ cd packages/chrome-plugin && pnpm run build # → packages/chrome-plugin/dist/ cd packages/wordpress-plugin && pnpm run build # → packages/wordpress-plugin/dist/ # Web application cd packages/web && pnpm run build # → packages/web/.vite/ and packages/web/dist/ # Desktop application (Linux example) just build-desktop-linux # → harper-desktop/target/release/bundle/ ``` ## Key Configuration Files Defining Output Locations Several configuration files establish where generated files are written: - **[`Cargo.toml`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/Cargo.toml)** – Defines the Rust workspace structure and implicitly sets `target/` as the build output root for all crates. - **[`packages/web/vite.config.ts`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/web/vite.config.ts)** – Configures Vite to write static assets to `dist/` and cache metadata to `.vite/`. - **[`packages/harper.js/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/harper.js/package.json)** – Contains the `"build"` script that determines the contents of `packages/harper.js/dist/`. - **[`packages/chrome-plugin/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/chrome-plugin/package.json)** – Defines the extension compilation process targeting `packages/chrome-plugin/dist/`. - **[`packages/wordpress-plugin/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/wordpress-plugin/package.json)** – Specifies build steps for WordPress plugin assets output to `dist/`. - **`justfile`** – Defines desktop build tasks like `build-desktop-linux` that output to `harper-desktop/target/release/bundle/`. ## Summary - **Rust components** generate binaries in `target/debug/` (development) and `target/release/` (production) at the workspace root. - **JavaScript packages** write bundles to individual `dist/` directories (e.g., `packages/harper.js/dist/`, `packages/chrome-plugin/dist/`). - **Web applications** output static files to `packages/web/dist/` with Vite cache in `packages/web/.vite/`. - **Desktop applications** are assembled in `harper-desktop/target/release/bundle/` via `just` commands. - All these locations are excluded from Git via `.gitignore` and must be generated locally using `cargo build`, `pnpm run build`, or `just` tasks. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Why don't I see the `target/` or `dist/` folders when browsing the repository on GitHub? These directories are listed in `.gitignore` to prevent build artifacts from being committed to version control. According to the Automattic/harper source code, only source files are tracked; you must clone the repository and run the build commands locally to generate these folders. ### What command generates the WebAssembly file needed for the browser extensions? Running `cargo build --release` in the workspace root produces `target/release/harper-wasm.wasm`. The JavaScript packages then reference or copy this file into their respective `dist/` directories during their own build process defined in [`package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/package.json). ### Can I change the output location for build artifacts? For Rust components, set the `CARGO_TARGET_DIR` environment variable to redirect `target/` elsewhere. For JavaScript packages, modify the build script in the respective [`package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/package.json) (such as in [`packages/harper.js/package.json`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/harper.js/package.json)) or adjust the Vite configuration in [`packages/web/vite.config.ts`](https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/main/packages/web/vite.config.ts) to change the `dist/` output path. ### Where are the installable files for the Harper desktop application? The packaged applications (AppImage for Linux, DMG for macOS) are generated in `harper-desktop/target/release/bundle/` when you run `just build-desktop-linux` or `just build-desktop-macos`. These files are not stored in the repository and must be built locally or downloaded from the project's releases page.