path-key

What is path-key?

The path-key npm package is used to get the environment variable used by the operating system to define the path for executables. This can be useful for cross-platform compatibility, as different operating systems use different environment variables ('PATH' on Windows, 'Path' on macOS and Linux).

What are path-key's main functionalities?

Get the PATH environment variable key

This feature allows you to retrieve the correct environment variable key for the system's PATH, which can be used to ensure cross-platform compatibility when working with system paths.

"const pathKey = require('path-key');

const key = pathKey(); // 'PATH' on Windows, 'Path' on macOS/Linux
console.log(`The PATH key is: ${key}`);"

Get the PATH environment variable key with options

This feature allows you to specify options such as the environment and platform, giving you more control over how the PATH key is determined, which can be useful for testing or specific use cases.

"const pathKey = require('path-key');

const options = { env: process.env, platform: 'win32' };
const key = pathKey(options); // Forces 'Path' even on Windows
console.log(`The PATH key is: ${key}`);"

Other packages similar to path-key

cross-env

The cross-env package allows you to set environment variables in a cross-platform way. While path-key is used to retrieve the PATH variable key, cross-env is used to set environment variables for scripts in a way that is compatible across different platforms.

which

The which package is a cross-platform implementation of the Unix 'which' command that finds the first instance of a specified executable in the PATH. It is similar to path-key in that it deals with system paths, but it serves a different purpose by locating executables rather than providing the PATH key.

README

path-key

Get the PATH environment variable key cross-platform

It's usually PATH but on Windows it can be any casing like Path...

Install

$ npm install path-key

Usage

import pathKey from 'path-key';

const key = pathKey();
//=> 'PATH'

const PATH = process.env[key];
//=> '/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin'

API

pathKey(options?)

options

Type: object

env

Type: object
Default: process.env

Use a custom environment variables object.

platform

Type: string
Default: process.platform

Get the PATH key for a specific platform.

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