n - The Funky Package Manager Executor

Disclaimer: Everything in this repo is written by chat gpt except this disclaimer :)

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Welcome to n, the coolest, slickest, and most convenient command-line tool for all your package management needs! Whether you're juggling npm, yarn, pnpm, or bun, n has got your back. It's like your personal DJ, mixing and matching commands for the right package manager. 🎧🚀

Getting Started

🔧 Installation

Clone this repository and feel the magic:

git clone https://github.com/luismeyer/n.git
cd n
cargo build --release

Now, move the compiled binary to a location in your PATH. On Unix-like systems, you might do something like:

sudo cp target/release/n /usr/local/bin

🚀 Usage

Run n followed by any package manager command you usually use. n will automatically detect your project's package manager and forward the command. It's like saying "Abracadabra", but for code!

n install
n start
n test

✨ Examples

• In a directory with package-lock.json (npm):

  n install axios    # Full command
  n i axios         # Using shortcut
  n d               # npm run dev

• In a directory with yarn.lock (yarn):

  n add lodash      # Full command
  n a lodash        # Using shortcut
  n d               # yarn dev

• In a directory with pnpm-lock.yaml (pnpm):

  n i react typescript --save-dev    # pnpm install react typescript --save-dev
  n r lodash                         # pnpm remove lodash
  n b                                # pnpm run build

Command Shortcuts ⚡

n includes smart command patching that automatically expands common shortcuts to their full commands, tailored for each package manager:

Universal Shortcuts

These work across all package managers:

n i           # → install
n a           # → add (or install for npm)
n r           # → remove/uninstall
n rm          # → remove/uninstall
n d           # → dev (run dev for npm/pnpm/bun)
n b           # → build (run build for npm/pnpm/bun)
n s           # → start
n t           # → test
n up          # → update/upgrade
n ls          # → list

Package Manager Specific Behavior

• npm: n a becomes npm install (since npm doesn't have an add command)
• yarn: n d becomes yarn dev (direct script execution)
• npm/pnpm/bun: n d becomes [manager] run dev (requires run prefix)

Examples with Shortcuts

# Instead of typing:
npm install lodash --save-dev

# Just type:
n i lodash --save-dev

# Or run development server:
n d              # Expands to appropriate dev command for your package manager

Default Fallback 🎯

When n doesn't detect any package manager lock files in your current directory (or up to 5 parent directories), it provides an interactive fallback:

Interactive Selection

$ n install react
No package manager detected. Please select one:
❯ pnpm
  bun  
  npm
  yarn

Smart Initialization

• For install commands (n i, n install, n add, n a): Runs the command directly to initialize and install packages
• For other commands: First runs install to initialize the project, then executes your original command

Example Workflow

# In a fresh directory without lock files:
$ n start
No package manager detected. Please select one:
❯ pnpm

Selected: pnpm
Initializing project with pnpm...
[pnpm install runs]
Running original command...
[pnpm start runs]

Features

• 🕵️‍♂️ Automatic Detection: Identifies which package manager your project uses by scanning for lock files up to 5 parent directories.
• 🏎️ Fast and Furious: Executes commands quicker than you can say "Fast".
• 🤹‍♂️ Multi-Command Handling: Pass multiple arguments and watch n handle them all.
• ⚡ Command Patching: Smart shortcuts that expand common abbreviations to full commands (e.g., n i → npm install, n d → yarn dev).
• 🎯 Default Fallback: Interactive package manager selection when no lock file is detected, with intelligent project initialization.
• 💃 Funky and Friendly: Because who said command line tools can't have a personality?

Contributing

Wanna add some more funk? Suggestions and pull requests are more than welcome. Let's make n the funkiest tool out there!

License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.

Acknowledgments

• Hat tip to all the package managers out there, making our lives easier.
• A big shoutout to Rust 🦀, the language that powers n.

Keep it Funky! 🕺

Remember, coding is supposed to be fun. Keep it light, keep it funky, and let n handle the mundane stuff.