https://github.com/otiai10/lookpath

The minimum and most straightforward way to check if command exists and where the executable is, without spawning child_process.
https://github.com/otiai10/lookpath

binary command executable exists nodejs path where which

Last synced: 12 months ago
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The minimum and most straightforward way to check if command exists and where the executable is, without spawning child_process.

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/otiai10/lookpath
• Owner: otiai10
• License: mit
• Created: 2019-04-19T01:22:01.000Z (almost 7 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-04-01T07:50:38.000Z (about 1 year ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-04-04T02:07:57.658Z (about 1 year ago)
• Topics: binary, command, executable, exists, nodejs, path, where, which
• Language: TypeScript
• Homepage: https://www.npmjs.com/package/lookpath
• Size: 1.07 MB
• Stars: 63
• Watchers: 2
• Forks: 8
• Open Issues: 5
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
  • License: LICENSE

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README

          
# lookpath

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

```

npm install lookpath

```

# Example usage

```js

const { lookpath } = require('lookpath');

const p = await lookpath('bash');

// "/bin/bash", otherwise "undefined"

```

# Advanced usage

```js

const p = await lookpath('bash', {

  include: ['/home/hiromu/.bin'],

  exclude: ['/mnt']

});

// include: Do scan also under `~/.bin`

// exclude: Do NOT scan under `/mnt`

```

# 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](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/34953168/node-check-existence-of-command-in-path/)

    - [Node.js: Check if a command exists - Gist](https://gist.github.com/jmptable/7a3aa580efffdef50fa9f0dd3d068d6f)

    - [mathisonian/command-exists: node module to check if a command-line command exists - GitHub](https://github.com/mathisonian/command-exists)

- then I checked Go implementation of [`exec.LookPath`](https://golang.org/pkg/os/exec/#LookPath).

    - [src/os/exec/lp_unix.go - The Go Programming Language](https://golang.org/src/os/exec/lp_unix.go?s=928:970#L24)

- so I concluded that scanning under `$PATH` or `$Path` is the best straightforward way to check if the command exists.

# Issues

- https://github.com/otiai10/lookpath/issues

Any feedback would be appreciated ;)

# License

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