Example task runner

taskRunner.js

//makeThumbnail.js

module.exports = {
  start : function(input, db){
    // makeThumbnail
    // save timestamp
    db.save({...});
  }
};

//uploadToS3.js
module.exports = {
  start : function(input, db){
    // upload thumb
    // perhaps save bucket name
    db.save({...});
  }
};

//taskRunner.js
var db = require('./database.js'),
    tasks = {},
    taskToRun = process.argv[2],
    taskRunner;
 
tasks.makeThumbnail = require('./tasks/makeThumbnail');
tasks.uploadToS3 = require('./tasks/uploadToS3');
 
 
taskRunner = function(task){
  task.start(process.argv, db);
};
 
if ( taskToRun in tasks ) {
  taskRunner( tasks[taskToRun] );
} else {
  // error handling
}

// makeThumbnail.test.js

var makeThumbnail = require('makeThumbnail');

describe('Make Thumbnail', function(){
  var database = {};

  it('should make a thumbnail, and call db.save', function(done){
    var input = {
      imageId : 1
    };

    database.save = function(obj){
      assert.equal(obj.id, input.imageId);
      done();
    }

    makeThumbnail(input, database);
  });
});