[All Hosts] (devx) simplified scripts in project templates (#4923)

Rick-Kirkham · ElizabethSamuel-MSFT · web-flow · commit 68ec0acd42b6 · 2024-12-10T14:49:58.000-08:00
* [All Hosts] (devx) simplified scripts in project templates

* clarify

* simplify

* Update docs/excel/custom-functions-debugging.md

Co-authored-by: Elizabeth Samuel &lt;elizs@microsoft.com&gt;

* Update docs/outlook/sideload-outlook-add-ins-for-testing.md

Co-authored-by: Elizabeth Samuel &lt;elizs@microsoft.com&gt;

* Update docs/quickstarts/excel-custom-functions-quickstart.md

Co-authored-by: Elizabeth Samuel &lt;elizs@microsoft.com&gt;

---------

Co-authored-by: Elizabeth Samuel &lt;elizs@microsoft.com&gt;
diff --git a/docs/develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md b/docs/develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ You can sideload the add-in using the Teams Toolkit or in a command prompt, bash
 
 1. First, *make sure Outlook desktop is closed.*
 1. Open a system prompt, bash shell, or the Visual Studio Code **TERMINAL**, and navigate to the root of the project.
-1. Run the command `npm run start:desktop`. The project builds and a Node dev-server window opens. This process may take a couple of minutes then Outlook desktop opens.
+1. If the "scripts" section of the project's package.json file has a "start:desktop" script, then run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run `npm run start`. The project builds and a Node dev-server window opens. This process may take a couple of minutes then Outlook desktop opens.
 1. You can now work with your add-in.
 1. When you're done working with your add-in, make sure to run the command `npm run stop`.
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ If the project was created with the Office Yeoman Generator and you don't want t
     ```
 
 1. Run `npm install`.
-1. To sideload the add-in, run `npm run start:desktop`. This command puts the unified manifest and the two image files into a zip file and sideloads it to the Office application. It also starts the server in a separate NodeJS window to host the add-in files on localhost.
+1. The command to sideload the add-in depends on when the project was created. If the "scripts" section of the project's package.json file has a "start:desktop" script, then run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run `npm run start`. This command puts the unified manifest and the two image files into a zip file and sideloads it to the Office application. It also starts the server in a separate NodeJS window to host the add-in files on localhost.
 
 When you're ready to stop the dev server and uninstall the add-in, run the command `npm run stop`.
 
diff --git a/docs/excel/custom-functions-debugging.md b/docs/excel/custom-functions-debugging.md
@@ -70,9 +70,7 @@ If you aren't using VS Code, you can use the command line (such as bash, or Powe
 1. From the command line run `npm run watch` to watch for and rebuild when code changes occur.
 1. Open a second command line window (the first one will be blocked while running the watch.)
 
-1. If you want to start your add-in in the desktop version of Excel, run the following command.
-  
-    `npm run start:desktop`
+1. If you want to start your add-in in the desktop version of Excel and the "scripts" section of the project's package.json file has a "start:desktop" script, then run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run `npm run start`.
   
     Or if you prefer to start your add-in in Excel on the web run the following command.
   
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@ There are several build tasks available.
 
 You can use the following tasks to start debugging on desktop or online.
 
-- `npm run start:desktop`: Starts Excel on desktop and sideloads your add-in.
+- `npm run start:desktop`: Starts Excel on desktop and sideloads your add-in. If the "start:desktop" script isn't present in the "scripts" section of the project's package.json file, then run `npm run start` instead.
 - `npm run start:web -- --document {url}` (where `{url}` is the URL of an Excel file on OneDrive or SharePoint): Starts Excel on the web and sideloads your add-in.
 
   [!include[Mac command line note](../includes/mac-command-line.md)]
diff --git a/docs/outlook/sideload-outlook-add-ins-for-testing.md b/docs/outlook/sideload-outlook-add-ins-for-testing.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ The process to sideload an add-in that uses the unified app manifest for Microso
 - For add-in projects created using the [Teams Toolkit](/microsoftteams/platform/toolkit/install-teams-toolkit?tabs=vscode), use one of the following options.
   - [Sideload in Visual Studio Code with Teams Toolkit](../develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md#sideload-with-the-teams-toolkit)
   - [Sideload in Visual Studio Code with a system prompt, bash shell, or terminal](../develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md#sideload-with-a-system-prompt-bash-shell-or-terminal)
-- For add-in projects created using the [Yeoman generator for Office Add-ins](../develop/yeoman-generator-overview.md), in a command prompt, navigate to the root of your project. Then, run `npm run start:desktop`. The project builds and a Node dev-server window opens. This process may take a couple of minutes before it opens Outlook desktop.
+- For add-in projects created using the [Yeoman generator for Office Add-ins](../develop/yeoman-generator-overview.md), in a command prompt, navigate to the root of your project. Then, if there's a "start:desktop" script, run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run `npm run start`. The project builds and a Node dev-server window opens. This process may take a couple of minutes before it opens Outlook desktop.
 - For NodeJS and npm projects that weren't created with the Yeoman generator, use one of the following options.
   - [Sideload with the Office-Addin-Debugging tool](../develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md#sideload-with-the-office-addin-debugging-tool)
   - [Sideload with the Teams Toolkit CLI (command-line interface)](../develop/convert-xml-to-json-manifest.md#sideload-with-the-teams-toolkit-cli-command-line-interface)
diff --git a/docs/quickstarts/excel-custom-functions-quickstart.md b/docs/quickstarts/excel-custom-functions-quickstart.md
@@ -52,11 +52,7 @@ To test your add-in in Excel on the web, run the following command. When you run
 
 # [Excel on Windows or Mac](#tab/excel-windows)
 
-To test your add-in in Excel on Windows or Mac, run the following command. When you run this command, the local web server will start and Excel will open with your add-in loaded.
-
-```command&nbsp;line
-npm run start:desktop
-```
+The command to test your add-in in Excel on Windows or Mac depends on when the project was created. If there's a "start:desktop" script in the "scripts" section of the package.json file, then run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run `npm run start`. The local web server will start and Excel will open with your add-in loaded.
 
 [!INCLUDE [alert use https](../includes/alert-use-https.md)]
 
diff --git a/docs/tutorials/excel-tutorial-create-custom-functions.md b/docs/tutorials/excel-tutorial-create-custom-functions.md
@@ -58,11 +58,7 @@ In this tutorial, you will:
 
 # [Excel on Windows or Mac](#tab/excel-windows)
 
-To test your add-in in Excel on Windows or Mac, run the following command. When you run this command, the local web server will start and Excel will open with your add-in loaded.
-
-```command&nbsp;line
-npm run start:desktop
-```
+The command to test your add-in in Excel on Windows or Mac depends on when the project was created. If the "scripts" section of the project's package.json file has a "start:desktop" script, then run `npm run start:desktop`; otherwise, run the command `npm run start`. The local web server will start and Excel will open with your add-in loaded.
 
 [!INCLUDE [alert use https](../includes/alert-use-https.md)]
 
