Node.js direnv setup

.envrc

# Either use node version specified in package.json
use node package.json

# Or a specific version
use node 5.0.0

# Rest of direnv setup..
export FOO=BAR

direnvrc

use_node() {
  layout node

  local node_version=$1

  if [ "$node_version" == "package.json" ]; then
    # Requires jq: `brew install jq`
    node_version=`jq --raw-output .engines.node package.json | tr -d "<=> "`
  fi

  local node_path=${NODE_DIR:-/usr/local/n/versions/node}

  if [ -x "$node_path/$node_version/bin/node" ]; then
    PATH_add $node_path/$node_version/bin
  elif [ -x "$node_path/v$node_version/bin/node" ]; then
    # Support nvm users (nvm prefixes versions with 'v')
    PATH_add $node_path/v$node_version/bin
  else
    echo "!!! Node.js version $node_version is not installed"
  fi
  
  export NODE_PATH=./node_modules
}

The script assumes node versions are installed using n in /usr/local/n/versions/node, but can be changed using the NODE_DIR env variable.

Installation instructions:

• brew install direnv
• brew install jq (for parsing package.json)
• Copy contents of direnvrc to ~/.direnvrc or ~/.config/direnv/direnvrc

To use a specific version in your project, put this in your project's .envrc

use node 5.2.0

To specify a global node version, put this in ~/.envrc

use node 5.2.0

If you want to use the node version as specified in package.json, make sure package.json contains the "engines" keyword:

"engines": {
  "node": "5.0.0"
}

Then put this in .envrc:

use node package.json

@gudleik, this is quite old. Was wondering if you still do it this way or if you use nvm now. TIA.

heh I had forgotten about this. Don't use this or nvm anymore, just lts node installed with homebrew

Time goes by. We find better ways. If you aren't using nvm, what are you using?

I don't switch between node versions anymore, so I just use the latest LTS version.