Node version enforcement and convenience

Node versions

Created Wed Dec 27, 2023 at 12:38 AM

Many projects have bad documentation or ways around what Node.js version they use, and how to load it.
But there's a simple explicit way to do both enforcement and convenience at once.

It involves making changes to 4 files - .nvmrc, .npmrc, package.json and terminal hook (.zshrc for example).

1. Enforcement - the app will raise errors for wrong versions during npm install. .npmrc and package.json do this, since any app is started by an npm script. This raises an error during npm install itself for wrong Node version, which is a good thing. See StackOverflow

/.npmrc

   engine-strict=true

/package.json. See engines property on npmjs

    "engines": {
        "node": "<=16"
    },
    // supports range like so `>=0.10.3 <15`
    // optionally, even `npm` version can be specified

1. Convenience

   1. Manual load - Add .nvmrc with the node version (by running node -v > .nvmrc), then manually do nvm use inside the directory. Don't have to remember "x" in nvm use x, good.

   /.nvmrc and (for safety/other environments) /.node-version file
   

     v16.20.2
   

   1. Auto load - remembering and doing nvm use for each new terminal is lame. So, add .nvmrc to the project as usual, and also add a function that loads the node version. Fully automatic. See Deeper shell integration

   ~/.zshrc
   

     # for ZSH: Add to .zshrc https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm?tab=readme-ov-file#zsh
     # for bash: Add to .bashrc https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm?tab=readme-ov-file#bash
     # optionally can do
   

Notes and gotchas:

• Set global default: nvm has a bad UI. To set global default, one has to run nvm use alias default _version_
• Use specific node version (temporarily - for terminal session) - nvm use _version_
• On mac, make sure to run brew uninstall node. Homebrew node messes up with nvm global default - it just takes over the default.

PS

Time to take asdf seriously?