How can I check if a program exists from a Bash script?

Question

How would I validate that a program exists, in a way that will either return an error and exit, or continue with the script?

It seems like it should be easy, but it\

Answer 1

If you guys/gals can't get the things in answers here to work and are pulling hair out of your back, try to run the same command using bash -c. Just look at this somnambular delirium. This is what really happening when you run $(sub-command):

First. It can give you completely different output.

$ command -v ls
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
$ bash -c "command -v ls"
/bin/ls

Second. It can give you no output at all.

$ command -v nvm
nvm
$ bash -c "command -v nvm"
$ bash -c "nvm --help"
bash: nvm: command not found