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https://github.com/mklement0/typex

Unix CLI that provides salient information about installed commands and programs, combining elements from standard Unix utilities type, which, and file.
https://github.com/mklement0/typex
cli command diagnostics discovery unix-cli
Last synced: 3 months ago
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Unix CLI that provides salient information about installed commands and programs, combining elements from standard Unix utilities type, which, and file.
Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/mklement0/typex
Owner: mklement0
Created: 2015-02-07T06:27:22.000Z (about 10 years ago)
Default Branch: master
Last Pushed: 2022-12-27T13:54:00.000Z (about 2 years ago)
Last Synced: 2024-04-24T20:14:49.462Z (10 months ago)
Topics: cli, command, diagnostics, discovery, unix-cli
Language: Shell
Homepage:
Size: 95.7 KB
Stars: 6
Watchers: 4
Forks: 2
Open Issues: 0
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE.md
Awesome Lists containing this project

README

        [![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/typex.svg)](https://npmjs.com/package/typex) [![license](https://img.shields.io/npm/l/typex.svg)](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/blob/master/LICENSE.md)

**Contents**

- [typex — introduction](#typex-&mdash-introduction)

- [Examples](#examples)

- [Installation](#installation)

  - [Installation from the npm registry](#installation-from-the-npm-registry)

  - [Manual installation](#manual-installation)

- [Usage](#usage)

- [License](#license)

  - [Acknowledgements](#acknowledgements)

  - [npm dependencies](#npm-dependencies)

- [Changelog](#changelog)

# typex — introduction

`typex` is an enhanced version of the `type` Unix shell builtin that

incorporates features from the `which` and `file` utilities:  

By default, it provides information about the current shell.  

Given a name, it indicates how the current shell would interpret that name as a command, and provides information about each command form found.  

Given a filesystem path, it provides information such as file type and canonical path.

`typex` extends `type` as follows:

* _All_ defined forms of a given command name are (always) reported, which includes shell keywords, aliases, shell functions, builtins, and executables.

* Defined forms are listed in descending order of precedence - the first form listed is the effective one.

* If an executable is a symlink, the entire chain of symlinks up to and including the ultimate target is printed, using _absolute_ paths.

* The type of executable is printed, including the specific shell/interpreter used to run executable scripts.

* Version information, if available, is printed for executables.

* Optionally, you can get information about any filesystem object, including its canoncial path and symlink chain, if applicable.

Note: `typex` is designed for interactive use, to provide humans with concise, salient information about a command or filesystem object.

As such, its output is geared toward readability by humans, and should not be relied on for programmatic parsing.

See the examples below, concise [usage information](#usage) further below,

or read the [manual](doc/typex.md).

For supported platforms and shells, see the [Installation](#installation) chapter.

# Examples

```shell

# Print information about the current shell.

$ typex

BINARY:     /bin/bash  [GNU bash, version 3.2.57(1)-release (x86_64-apple-darwin14)]

# Print information about command forms named 'printf' in order of precedence.

$ typex printf

BUILTIN:    printf

BINARY:     /usr/bin/printf  [printf (GNU coreutils) 8.21]

# Print information about binary 'nawk'; note the chain of symlinks,

# and its use of *absolute* paths, as well as the version information.

$ typex nawk

BINARY:     /usr/bin/nawk@ -> /etc/alternatives/nawk@ -> /usr/bin/gawk  [GNU Awk 4.0.1]

# Print information about executable script 'npm';

# note the interpreter information ('POSIX shell script').

$ typex npm

SCRIPT:     /usr/bin/npm@ -> /usr/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js  (POSIX shell script)  [2.11.3]

# Print information about an alias:

$ alias lsx='ls -FAhl'

$ typex lsx

ALIAS:      lsx='ls -FAhl'

  BINARY:     /bin/ls  [ls (GNU coreutils) 8.21]

# Print the canonical path of a directory:

$ typex /etc/apache2/

DIRECTORY:  /etc/apache2 -> /private/etc/apache2

# Print extended information about special file /dev/null

$ typex -v /dev/null

FILE:       /dev/null  (character special )

	crw-rw-rw- 1 root root 1, 3 Feb  1 19:43

```

# Installation

**Supported platforms**

* When installing from the **npm registry**: **Linux** and **OS X**

* When installing **manually**: any **Unix-like** platform with **Bash** that uses either **BSD or GNU utilities**. 

**Supported shells**

For this utility to detect the current shell's aliases, keywords, functions, and builtins, it must be *sourced*, which is supported in the following shells:

* **Bash**, **Ksh**, and **Zsh**

`typex` can still be useful in unsupported shells when invoked standalone (in which case it runs in `bash`), albeit in limited form:

* only executable *files* and filesystem objects will be detected - no other command forms.

* a warning to that effect is printed; you can suppress it with `-p`

Simply put, non-sourced use of `typex` amounts to an enhanced version of the `which` utility.

## Installation from the npm registry

^{Note: Even if you don't use Node.js, its package manager, `npm`, works across platforms and is easy to install; try [`curl -L http://git.io/n-install | bash`](https://github.com/mklement0/n-install)}

With [Node.js](http://nodejs.org/) or [io.js](https://iojs.org/) installed, install [the package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/typex) as follows:

    [sudo] npm install typex -g

**Note**:

* Whether you need `sudo` depends on how you installed Node.js / io.js and whether you've [changed permissions later](https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/fixing-npm-permissions); if you get an `EACCES` error, try again with `sudo`.

* The `-g` ensures [_global_ installation](https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/installing-npm-packages-globally) and is needed to put `typex` in your system's `$PATH`.

**IMPORTANT**: After installation, run `typex -i` to add sourcing of `typex` to the per-user initialization file of all supported shells that are present (e.g., `~/.bashrc`).

To remove these sourcing commands later, run `typex -u`.

## Manual installation

* Download [this `bash` script](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mklement0/typex/stable/bin/typex) as `typex`.

* Make it executable with `chmod +x typex`.

* Move it or symlink it to a folder in your `$PATH`, such as `/usr/local/bin` (OS X) or `/usr/bin` (Linux).

**IMPORTANT**: After installation, run `typex -i` to add sourcing of `typex` to the per-user initialization file of all supported shells that are present (e.g., `~/.bashrc`).

To remove these sourcing commands later, run `typex -u`.

# Usage

Find concise usage information below; for complete documentation, read the [manual online](doc/typex.md), or, once installed, run `man typex` (`typex --man` if installed manually).

```nohighlight

$ typex --help

Reports salient information about available commands, programs, and  

filesystem items, such as command or file type, (ultimate) location,  

and version.

    typex [-p] [-V] [-v] [...]

    -p     look for files only (ignore shell aliases, keywords, functions,  

           builtins)

    -V     skip attempt to obtain executable version information

    -v     verbose mode: report additional information

Install / uninstall sourcing via shell-initialization files (required  

to detect aliases, functions, shell builtins - supported in  

Bash, Ksh, Zsh):

    typex -i

    typex -u

```

# License

Copyright (c) 2015-2020 Michael Klement  (http://same2u.net), released under the [MIT license](https://spdx.org/licenses/MIT#licenseText).

## Acknowledgements

This project gratefully depends on the following open-source components, according to the terms of their respective licenses.

[npm](https://www.npmjs.com/) dependencies below have optional suffixes denoting the type of dependency; the _absence_ of a suffix denotes a required _run-time_ dependency: `(D)` denotes a _development-time-only_ dependency, `(O)` an _optional_ dependency, and `(P)` a _peer_ dependency.

## npm dependencies

* [doctoc (D)](https://github.com/thlorenz/doctoc)

* [json (D)](https://github.com/trentm/json)

* [marked-man (D)](https://github.com/kapouer/marked-man#readme)

* [replace (D)](https://github.com/harthur/replace)

* [semver (D)](https://github.com/npm/node-semver#readme)

* [shall (D)](https://github.com/mklement0/shall)

* [urchin (D)](https://git.sdf.org/tlevine/urchin)

# Changelog

Versioning complies with [semantic versioning (semver)](http://semver.org/).

* **[v0.4.3](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.4.2...v0.4.3)** (2020-10-13):

  * [fix] npm v6.14.8 inexplicably complains about the "install" command in package.json (which simply printfs an informational message), so it is diabled for now.

* **[v0.4.2](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.4.1...v0.4.2)** (2020-10-13):

  * [fix] Syntax error fixed that was masked by an accidental non-breaking space Unicode char.

* **[v0.4.1](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.4.0...v0.4.1)** (2015-09-21):

  * [fix] `typex /` now works correctly.

* **[v0.4.0](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.3.3...v0.4.0)** (2015-09-21):

  * [potentially breaking change] `typex` now accepts options _after_ operands

      as well (except after `--`), and now also accepts long option names.

  * [doc] `typex` now has a man page (if manually installed, use `typex --man`);

      `typex -h` now just prints concise usage information.

  * [doc] Read-me improved.

  * [fix] Various fixes and stability improvements.

  * [dev] Installation of sourcing (with `-i`) no longer uses `ed` so as to

      work on a wider range of platforms, notably Fedora.

  * [dev] Tests improved, additional tests added.

* **[v0.3.3](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.3.2...v0.3.3)** (2015-09-15):

  * [dev] Makefile improvements; various other behind-the-scenes tweaks.

* **[v0.3.2](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.3.1...v0.3.2)** (2015-09-03):

  * [fix] Broken (dangling) symlinks are now properly detected and reported.

* **[v0.3.1](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.3.0...v0.3.1)** (2015-06-26):

  * [dev] Makefile updated; to-do file added; typo in source-code comment fixed.

  * [doc] Minor read-me revision.

* **[v0.3.0](https://github.com/mklement0/typex/compare/v0.2.1...v0.3.0)** (2015-06-10):

  * [behavior change, enhancement] When reporting on an alias, information about the underlying command is now output with indentation, so as to make it clear that the information is subordinate to the alias information.

  * [fix] Reporting on an alias' underlying command no longer causes additional command forms of the same name to be ignored.

  * [fix] Obtaining a file's last-modified timestamp no longer breaks with filenames with embedded spaces.

  * [doc] Read-me improvements; version badge switched to shields.io; license badge added.

* **v0.2.1** (2015-05-30):

  * [doc] [npm registry badge](https://badge.fury.io) added

* **v0.2.0** (2015-05-24):

  * [enhancement] Now by default prints information about the _current shell_ (if no names are given).

  * [enhancement] Specifying `.` now also prints the current directory's canonical path.

  * [enhancement] Given a filesystem path, now also displays its canonical path with all symlinks resolved, if different.

  * [enhancement] A warning is now issued if a bareword can't be found as a command, but a file or dir. of the same name exists in the current dir.

  * [enhancement] For aliases, their definitions are now printed recursively, if applicable, and, if the ultimate definition's first token is a command, its information is printed as well.

  * [fix] `typex perl` now correctly reports Perl's version.

  * [fix] Paths with embedded space are now handled correctly.

* **v0.1.7** (2015-03-04):

  * Fix: Variables `$u` and `$i` that happen to be defined in the current shell no longer interfere with the sourced function.

* **v0.1.6** (2015-02-11):

  * Temp. fix: `typex -i` now properly reports failure on platforms that don't have the actual `ed` line editor, such as Debian.

* **v0.1.5** (2015-02-11):

  * Fix: --version no longer mistakenly exits the current shell when typex is invoked as a sourced function.

  * Dev: bash-presence test improved.

  * Dev: Makefile improvements.

* **v0.1.4** (2015-02-11):

  * Fix: Filenames that start with '-' are now handled correctly.

  * Dev: bash-presence test added.

  * Dev: Makefile improvements.

* **v0.1.3** (2015-02-09):

  * Doc: read-me and package description improved.

* **v0.1.2** (2015-02-07):

  * Fix: sourcing no longer auto-installed/-removed on package installation - removed due to permission headaches; users must now run typex -i manually after installation.

* **v0.1.1** (2015-02-07):

  * Fix: --version reported incorrect version number.

  * Temp. fix: installation of sourcing with -i doesn't report error in case of failure so as not to prevent installation of the npm package altogether.

* **v0.1.0** (2015-02-07):

  * Initial release.