how to run node / babel script directly in command line?

node ./node_modules/babel-cli/bin/babel-node.js --presets env app.js

You can execute npm package binaries with npx.

Because Babel 7 always resolves plugins and presets relative to local project folder, you will have to install @babel/preset-env locally into the project.

npm i -D @babel/preset-env

After that the babel-node can be run with npx without installation into the project:

npx -p @babel/core -p @babel/node babel-node --presets @babel/preset-env app.js

If you install @babel/node into the project, npx will prefer project-local version.

---

In case of Babel 6 the command below can be used:

npx babel-node --presets env app.js

Great gugley mugleys! This was way harder than it should have been.

See here for docs. TLDR;

Babel > version 7.0 has to go in your package.json to run from command line.

npm install --save-dev @babel/core @babel/cli @babel/preset-env @babel/node 

npx babel-node --presets @babel/preset-env imports/test.js