usemin on grunt Build is not building bower components properly into dist directory

Question

On Grunt build, how do I capture the proper pathing of bower_components to create a single vendor.js file full of bower components within my dist folder. I've pin pointed the reason, Grunt build's usemin is building vendor.js from the wrong folder ..adding app folder prefix.

how do I remove this app prefix so that the grunt build properly builds my bower components?

Grunt Build: but on build it's making a 0kb vendor file because the bower_components are in a directory above app

As you can see my bower_components live outside my app folder

Usemin:

  <!-- build:js scripts/vendor.js -->
    <!-- bower:js -->
    <script src="bower_components/angular/angular.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-resource/angular-resource.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-cookies/angular-cookies.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-sanitize/angular-sanitize.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-animate/angular-animate.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-touch/angular-touch.js"></script>
    <script src="bower_components/angular-ui-router/release/angular-ui-router.js"></script>
    <!-- endbower -->
    <!-- endbuild -->

        <!-- build:js({.tmp,app}) scripts/scripts.js -->
        <script src="scripts/app.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/main.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/about.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/categories.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/footer.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/navigation.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/shoppanel.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/sidepanel.js"></script>
        <script src="scripts/controllers/weekly.js"></script>
        <!-- directives -->
        <script src="scripts/directives/slideshow.js"></script>
        <!-- .directives -->
        <!-- models -->
        <script src="scripts/models/pages.js"></script>
        <!-- .models -->
        <!-- endbuild -->

Grunt File:

// Generated on 2014-06-17 using generator-angular 0.9.0-1
'use strict';

// # Globbing
// for performance reasons we're only matching one level down:
// 'test/spec/{,*/}*.js'
// use this if you want to recursively match all subfolders:
// 'test/spec/**/*.js'

module.exports = function (grunt) {

  // Load grunt tasks automatically
  require('load-grunt-tasks')(grunt);

  // Time how long tasks take. Can help when optimizing build times
  require('time-grunt')(grunt);

  // Configurable paths for the application
  var appConfig = {
    app: require('./bower.json').appPath || 'app',
    dist: 'dist'
  };

  // Define the configuration for all the tasks
  grunt.initConfig({

    // Project settings
    yeoman: appConfig,

    // Watches files for changes and runs tasks based on the changed files
    watch: {
      bower: {
        files: ['bower.json'],
        tasks: ['wiredep']
      },
      js: {
        files: ['<%= yeoman.app %>/scripts/{,*/}*.js'],
        tasks: ['newer:jshint:all'],
        options: {
          livereload: '<%= connect.options.livereload %>'
        }
      },
      jsTest: {
        files: ['test/spec/{,*/}*.js'],
        tasks: ['newer:jshint:test', 'karma']
      },
      compass: {
        files: ['<%= yeoman.app %>/styles/{,*/}*.{scss,sass}'],
        tasks: ['compass:server', 'autoprefixer']
      },
      gruntfile: {
        files: ['Gruntfile.js']
      },
      livereload: {
        options: {
          livereload: '<%= connect.options.livereload %>'
        },
        files: [
          '<%= yeoman.app %>/{,*/}*.html',
          '.tmp/styles/{,*/}*.css',
          '<%= yeoman.app %>/images/{,*/}*.{png,jpg,jpeg,gif,webp,svg}'
        ]
      }
    },

    // The actual grunt server settings
    connect: {
      options: {
        port: 9000,
        // Change this to '0.0.0.0' to access the server from outside.
        hostname: 'localhost',
        livereload: 35729
      },
      livereload: {
        options: {
          open: true,
          middleware: function (connect) {
            return [
              connect.static('.tmp'),
              connect().use(
                '/bower_components',
                connect.static('./bower_components')
              ),
              connect.static(appConfig.app)
            ];
          }
        }
      },
      test: {
        options: {
          port: 9001,
          middleware: function (connect) {
            return [
              connect.static('.tmp'),
              connect.static('test'),
              connect().use(
                '/bower_components',
                connect.static('./bower_components')
              ),
              connect.static(appConfig.app)
            ];
          }
        }
      },
      dist: {
        options: {
          open: true,
          base: '<%= yeoman.dist %>'
        }
      }
    },

    // Make sure code styles are up to par and there are no obvious mistakes
    jshint: {
      options: {
        jshintrc: '.jshintrc',
        reporter: require('jshint-stylish')
      },
      all: {
        src: [
          'Gruntfile.js',
          '<%= yeoman.app %>/scripts/{,*/}*.js'
        ]
      },
      test: {
        options: {
          jshintrc: 'test/.jshintrc'
        },
        src: ['test/spec/{,*/}*.js']
      }
    },

    // Empties folders to start fresh
    clean: {
      dist: {
        files: [{
          dot: true,
          src: [
            '.tmp',
            '<%= yeoman.dist %>/{,*/}*',
            '!<%= yeoman.dist %>/.git*'
          ]
        }]
      },
      server: '.tmp'
    },

    // Add vendor prefixed styles
    autoprefixer: {
      options: {
        browsers: ['last 1 version']
      },
      dist: {
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          cwd: '.tmp/styles/',
          src: '{,*/}*.css',
          dest: '.tmp/styles/'
        }]
      }
    },

    // Automatically inject Bower components into the app
    wiredep: {
      app: {
        src: ['<%= yeoman.app %>/index.html'],
        ignorePath: new RegExp('^<%= yeoman.app %>/|../')
      },
      sass: {
      src: ['<%= yeoman.app %>/styles/{,*/}*.{scss,sass}'],
      ignorePath: /(\.\.\/){1,2}bower_components\//
      }
    },

    // Compiles Sass to CSS and generates necessary files if requested
    compass: {
      options: {
        require: ['susy','breakpoint'],
        sassDir: '<%= yeoman.app %>/styles',
        cssDir: '.tmp/styles',
        generatedImagesDir: '.tmp/images/generated',
        imagesDir: '<%= yeoman.app %>/images',
        javascriptsDir: '<%= yeoman.app %>/scripts',
        fontsDir: '<%= yeoman.app %>/styles/fonts',
        importPath: './bower_components',
        httpImagesPath: '/images',
        httpGeneratedImagesPath: '/images/generated',
        httpFontsPath: '/styles/fonts',
        relativeAssets: false,
        assetCacheBuster: false,
        raw: 'Sass::Script::Number.precision = 10\n'
      },
      dist: {
        options: {
          generatedImagesDir: '<%= yeoman.dist %>/images/generated'
        }
      },
      server: {
        options: {
          debugInfo: true
        }
      }
    },

    // Renames files for browser caching purposes
    filerev: {
      dist: {
        src: [
          '<%= yeoman.dist %>/scripts/{,*/}*.js',
          '<%= yeoman.dist %>/styles/{,*/}*.css',
          '<%= yeoman.dist %>/images/{,*/}*.{png,jpg,jpeg,gif,webp,svg}',
          '<%= yeoman.dist %>/styles/fonts/*'
        ]
      }
    },

    // Reads HTML for usemin blocks to enable smart builds that automatically
    // concat, minify and revision files. Creates configurations in memory so
    // additional tasks can operate on them
    useminPrepare: {
      html: '<%= yeoman.app %>/index.html',
      options: {
        dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>',
        flow: {
          html: {
            steps: {
              js: ['concat', 'uglifyjs'],
              css: ['cssmin']
            },
            post: {}
          }
        }
      }
    },

    // Performs rewrites based on filerev and the useminPrepare configuration
    usemin: {
      html: ['<%= yeoman.dist %>/{,*/}*.html'],
      css: ['<%= yeoman.dist %>/styles/{,*/}*.css'],
      options: {
        assetsDirs: ['<%= yeoman.dist %>','<%= yeoman.dist %>/images']
      }
    },

    // The following *-min tasks will produce minified files in the dist folder
    // By default, your `index.html`'s <!-- Usemin block --> will take care of
    // minification. These next options are pre-configured if you do not wish
    // to use the Usemin blocks.
    // cssmin: {
    //   dist: {
    //     files: {
    //       '<%= yeoman.dist %>/styles/main.css': [
    //         '.tmp/styles/{,*/}*.css'
    //       ]
    //     }
    //   }
    // },
    // uglify: {
    //   dist: {
    //     files: {
    //       '<%= yeoman.dist %>/scripts/scripts.js': [
    //         '<%= yeoman.dist %>/scripts/scripts.js'
    //       ]
    //     }
    //   }
    // },
    // concat: {
    //   dist: {}
    // },

    imagemin: {
      dist: {
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          cwd: '<%= yeoman.app %>/images',
          src: '{,*/}*.{png,jpg,jpeg,gif}',
          dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>/images'
        }]
      }
    },

    svgmin: {
      dist: {
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          cwd: '<%= yeoman.app %>/images',
          src: '{,*/}*.svg',
          dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>/images'
        }]
      }
    },

    htmlmin: {
      dist: {
        options: {
          collapseWhitespace: true,
          conservativeCollapse: true,
          collapseBooleanAttributes: true,
          removeCommentsFromCDATA: true,
          removeOptionalTags: true
        },
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          cwd: '<%= yeoman.dist %>',
          src: ['*.html', 'views/{,*/}*.html'],
          dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>'
        }]
      }
    },

    // ngmin tries to make the code safe for minification automatically by
    // using the Angular long form for dependency injection. It doesn't work on
    // things like resolve or inject so those have to be done manually.
    ngmin: {
      dist: {
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          cwd: '.tmp/concat/scripts',
          src: '*.js',
          dest: '.tmp/concat/scripts'
        }]
      }
    },

    // Replace Google CDN references
    cdnify: {
      dist: {
        html: ['<%= yeoman.dist %>/*.html']
      }
    },

    // Copies remaining files to places other tasks can use
    copy: {
      dist: {
        files: [{
          expand: true,
          dot: true,
          cwd: '<%= yeoman.app %>',
          dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>',
          src: [
            '*.{ico,png,txt}',
            '.htaccess',
            '*.html',
            'views/{,*/}*.html',
            'images/{,*/}*.{webp}',
            'fonts/*'
          ]
        }, {
          expand: true,
          cwd: '.tmp/images',
          dest: '<%= yeoman.dist %>/images',
          src: ['generated/*']
        }]
      },
      styles: {
        expand: true,
        cwd: '<%= yeoman.app %>/styles',
        dest: '.tmp/styles/',
        src: '{,*/}*.css'
      }
    },

    // Run some tasks in parallel to speed up the build process
    concurrent: {
      server: [
        'compass:server'
      ],
      test: [
        'compass'
      ],
      dist: [
        'compass:dist',
        'imagemin',
        'svgmin'
      ]
    },

    // Test settings
    karma: {
      unit: {
        configFile: 'test/karma.conf.js',
        singleRun: true
      }
    }
  });


  grunt.registerTask('serve', 'Compile then start a connect web server', function (target) {
    if (target === 'dist') {
      return grunt.task.run(['build', 'connect:dist:keepalive']);
    }

    grunt.task.run([
      'clean:server',
      'wiredep',
      'concurrent:server',
      'autoprefixer',
      'connect:livereload',
      'watch'
    ]);
  });

  grunt.registerTask('server', 'DEPRECATED TASK. Use the "serve" task instead', function (target) {
    grunt.log.warn('The `server` task has been deprecated. Use `grunt serve` to start a server.');
    grunt.task.run(['serve:' + target]);
  });

  grunt.registerTask('test', [
    'clean:server',
    'concurrent:test',
    'autoprefixer',
    'connect:test',
    'karma'
  ]);

  grunt.registerTask('build', [
    'clean:dist',
    'wiredep',
    'useminPrepare',
    'concurrent:dist',
    'autoprefixer',
    'concat',
    'ngmin',
    'copy:dist',
    'cdnify',
    'cssmin',
    'uglify',
    // 'filerev',
    'usemin',
    'htmlmin'
  ]);

  grunt.registerTask('default', [
    'newer:jshint',
    'test',
    'build'
  ]);
};

Answer 1

From the grunt-usemin doc:

By default the input files are relative to the treated file. Alternate search path allows one to change that

Provide a alternate search path will do. In your case is .

<!-- build:js(.) scripts/vendor.js -->