run `nvm use` automatically every time there's a .nvmrc file on the directory

Question

How to configure my shell so that nvm use run automatically every time there\'s a .nvmrc file on the directory and use the latest version or a global config whe

Answer 1

If you use bash you can add this to your ~/.bashrc file:

enter_directory() {
  if [[ $PWD == $PREV_PWD ]]; then
    return
  fi

  PREV_PWD=$PWD
  [[ -f ".nvmrc" ]] && nvm use
}

export PROMPT_COMMAND=enter_directory

Answer 2

If you use zsh (z shell):

Calling 'nvm use' automatically in a directory with a .nvmrc file

Put this into your $HOME/.zshrc to call nvm use automatically whenever you enter a directory that contains an .nvmrc file with a string telling nvm which node to use:

# place this after nvm initialization!
autoload -U add-zsh-hook
load-nvmrc() {
  local node_version="$(nvm version)"
  local nvmrc_path="$(nvm_find_nvmrc)"

  if [ -n "$nvmrc_path" ]; then
    local nvmrc_node_version=$(nvm version "$(cat "${nvmrc_path}")")

    if [ "$nvmrc_node_version" = "N/A" ]; then
      nvm install
    elif [ "$nvmrc_node_version" != "$node_version" ]; then
      nvm use
    fi
  elif [ "$node_version" != "$(nvm version default)" ]; then
    echo "Reverting to nvm default version"
    nvm use default
  fi
}
add-zsh-hook chpwd load-nvmrc
load-nvmrc

More info: https://github.com/creationix/nvm#zsh

Answer 3

Excellent answer from @devius.

I just extended it so it can revert to the default version when leaving a directory with .nvmrc to another without it.

~/.bashrc:

#
# Run 'nvm use' automatically every time there's 
# a .nvmrc file in the directory. Also, revert to default 
# version when entering a directory without .nvmrc
#
enter_directory() {
if [[ $PWD == $PREV_PWD ]]; then
    return
fi

PREV_PWD=$PWD
if [[ -f ".nvmrc" ]]; then
    nvm use
    NVM_DIRTY=true
elif [[ $NVM_DIRTY = true ]]; then
    nvm use default
    NVM_DIRTY=false
fi
}

export PROMPT_COMMAND=enter_directory

Answer 4

This answer is taken from the official nvm documentation.

Put the following at the end of your $HOME/.bashrc:

find-up () {
    path=$(pwd)
    while [[ "$path" != "" && ! -e "$path/$1" ]]; do
        path=${path%/*}
    done
    echo "$path"
}

cdnvm(){
    cd "$@";
    nvm_path=$(find-up .nvmrc | tr -d '[:space:]')

    # If there are no .nvmrc file, use the default nvm version
    if [[ ! $nvm_path = *[^[:space:]]* ]]; then

        declare default_version;
        default_version=$(nvm version default);

        # If there is no default version, set it to `node`
        # This will use the latest version on your machine
        if [[ $default_version == "N/A" ]]; then
            nvm alias default node;
            default_version=$(nvm version default);
        fi

        # If the current version is not the default version, set it to use the default version
        if [[ $(nvm current) != "$default_version" ]]; then
            nvm use default;
        fi

        elif [[ -s $nvm_path/.nvmrc && -r $nvm_path/.nvmrc ]]; then
        declare nvm_version
        nvm_version=$(<"$nvm_path"/.nvmrc)

        # Add the `v` suffix if it does not exists in the .nvmrc file
        if [[ $nvm_version != v* ]]; then
            nvm_version="v""$nvm_version"
        fi

        # If it is not already installed, install it
        if [[ $(nvm ls "$nvm_version" | tr -d '[:space:]') == "N/A" ]]; then
            nvm install "$nvm_version";
        fi

        if [[ $(nvm current) != "$nvm_version" ]]; then
            nvm use "$nvm_version";
        fi
    fi
}
alias cd='cdnvm'

---

This is an improvement over:

• @Gabo Esquivel's answer - because you won't have to switch to another tool (avn)
• @devius's and @Adriano P's answers - which do not deal with situations where you are within a project

This alias would search 'up' from your current directory in order to detect a .nvmrc file. If it finds it, it will switch to that version; if not, it will use the default version.