What

This is a simple npm CLI tool to quickly add local ./node_modules/.bin to environment PATH variable for current session only.

This package installs 3 scripts to your npm's global packages directory that it gets by running npm bin -g. Scripts are made for Windows CMD / PowerShell (usemodules.cmd / usemodules.ps1) and unix Bash (usemodules.sh). Each script checks whether local ./node_modules/.bin exists and then adds it to the current sessions PATH variable. The change is not persistent and will be valid for current session only.

In windows while calling usemodules in CMD it will prioritize .cmd files while PowerShell will opt for .ps1 files. For unix systems .sh script is installed without extension so it would be available by just it's name.

Tested with Nodejs v4.0.0 and NPM v2.14.2 in Windows 10 Pro, Windows Linux Subsystem (Ubuntu flavor), Ubuntu 16.04, OSX High Sierra 10.13.3.

Why

I know there's npx and yarn, but I needed something that worked with old node v4 and didn't conflict with npm scripts and wouldn't install packages if they were missing. I just needed a quick env setup to play with commands and then paste them into npm scripts.

Usage

Windows CMD/PowerShell

usemodules

OSX/Linux Bash

. usemodules

You have to execute it in current scope: . usemodules, calling source usemodules will also work, but it's obviously longer to type.

-g argument

-g : Prioritize global

Default behaviour is to prepend directory to global PATH to look there before global bin folder, passing -g argument will append directory to global PATH instead, this will prioritize global packages over local.

Output of the command will show you whether ir prepended or appended:

user@WORKSTATION:~/dev/MyProject$ . usemodules
~/dev/MyProject/node_modules/.bin : >PATH

user@WORKSTATION:~/dev/MyProject$ . usemodules -g
~/dev/MyProject/node_modules/.bin : PATH<

Examples

CMD

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.192]
(c) 2017 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Dev\MyProject>gulp -v
'gulp' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Dev\MyProject>usemodules
C:\Dev\MyProject\node_modules\.bin : >PATH

C:\Dev\MyProject>gulp -v
[14:25:32] CLI version 2.0.1
[14:25:32] Local version 4.0.0-alpha.3

PowerShell

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Dev\MyProject> which gulp
which : The term 'which' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check
the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.
At line:1 char:1
+ which gulp
+ ~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (which:String) [], CommandNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : CommandNotFoundException

PS C:\Dev\MyProject> usemodules
C:\Dev\MyProject\node_modules\.bin : >PATH
PS C:\Dev\MyProject> which gulp
C:\Dev\MyProject\node_modules\.bin\gulp.CMD

OSX/Linux

Last login: Mon Mar 12 15:30:06 on ttys002

user@WORKSTATION:~/dev/MyProject$ istanbul
istanbul: command not found
user@WORKSTATION:~/dev/MyProject$ . usemodules
~/dev/MyProject/node_modules/.bin : >PATH
user@WORKSTATION:~/dev/MyProject$ istanbul
Need a command to run
Try "istanbul help" for usage