find-bin

To check if the command exists and where the executable file is, WITHOUT using child_process.

npm install find-bin
yarn add find-bin

Example usage

const { lookpath, lookpathSync } = require('find-bin');

const p = await lookpath('bash');
const pSync = lookpathSync('bash');
// "/bin/bash", otherwise "undefined"

Advanced usage

const p = await lookpath('bash', {
    include: ['/home/hiromu/.bin'],
    exclude: ['/mnt'],
});
// include: Do scan also under `~/.bin`
// exclude: Do NOT scan under `/mnt`

const p = await lookpath('bash', {
    includeCommonPaths: true,
});
// includeCommonPaths: Will scan for bash in many common binary directories, not just those specified in PATH

const p = await lookpath('bash', {
    findAll: true,
});
// ["/bin/bash"], an array containing all the bash binaries found in any path
// includeCommonPaths: Will scan for bash in many common binary directories, not just those specified in PATH

Motivation

• I don't want to spawn child_process in order to kick which, where, whereis, or command -v.
  • node.js - Node - check existence of command in path - Stack Overflow
  • Node.js: Check if a command exists - Gist
  • mathisonian/command-exists: node module to check if a command-line command exists - GitHub
• then I checked Go implementation of exec.LookPath.
  • src/os/exec/lp_unix.go - The Go Programming Language
• so I concluded that scanning under $PATH or $Path is the best straightforward way to check if the command exists.