fish-shell/doc_src/cmds/fish_add_path.rst
Fabian Boehm 6706b15fbc fish_add_path: Automatically enable verbose mode for interactive use
fish_add_path can be used either interactively, in the commandline,
or in config.fish. That's its greatest strength, it's a very
DWIM-style command.

One of the compromises that entails, however, is that it can't really
be very loud about what it does. If it skips a path, it can't write a
warning because it might be used in config.fish.

But it *can* if it's used interactively. So we try to detect that case
and enable verbose mode automatically.

That means if you do

```fish
fish_add_path /opt/mytool/bin/mytool
```

it may tell you "Skipping path because it is a file instead of a
directory:".

The check isn't perfect, it goes through status current-command and
isatty, but it should be good for most cases (and be false in config.fish).
2024-06-06 16:47:39 +02:00

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4.6 KiB
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.. _cmd-fish_add_path:
.. program::fish_add_path
fish_add_path - add to the path
==============================================================
Synopsis
--------
.. synopsis::
fish_add_path path ...
fish_add_path [(-g | --global) | (-U | --universal) | (-P | --path)] [(-m | --move)] [(-a | --append) | (-p | --prepend)] [(-v | --verbose) | (-n | --dry-run)] PATHS ...
Description
-----------
:program:`fish_add_path` is a simple way to add more directories to fish's :envvar:`PATH`. It does this by adding the directories either to :envvar:`fish_user_paths` or directly to :envvar:`PATH` (if the ``--path`` switch is given).
It is (by default) safe to use :program:`fish_add_path` in config.fish, or it can be used once, interactively, and the paths will stay in future because of :ref:`universal variables <variables-universal>`. This is a "do what I mean" style command - it tries to do the right thing by default, and follow your lead on what you have already set up (e.g. by using a global :envvar:`fish_user_paths` if you have that already). If you need more control, consider modifying the variable yourself.
Directories are normalized with :doc:`realpath <realpath>`. Trailing slashes are ignored and relative paths are made absolute (but symlinks are not resolved). If a directory is already included, it is not added again and stays in the same place unless the ``--move`` switch is given.
Directories are added in the order they are given, and they are prepended to the path unless ``--append`` is given. If $fish_user_paths is used, that means they are last in $fish_user_paths, which is itself prepended to :envvar:`PATH`, so they still stay ahead of the system paths. If the ``--path`` option is used, the paths are appended/prepended to :envvar:`PATH` directly, so this doesn't happen.
With ``--path``, because :envvar:`PATH` must be a global variable instead of a universal one, the changes won't persist, so those calls need to be stored in :ref:`config.fish <configuration>`. This also applies to :envvar:`fish_user_paths` if you make it global (for instance by passing ``--global``).
If no directory is new, the variable (:envvar:`fish_user_paths` or :envvar:`PATH`) is not set again or otherwise modified, so variable handlers are not triggered.
If an argument is not an existing directory, ``fish_add_path`` ignores it.
Options
-------
**-a** or **--append**
Add directories to the *end* of the variable.
**-p** or **--prepend**
Add directories to the *front* of the variable (this is the default).
**-g** or **--global**
Use a global :envvar:`fish_user_paths`.
**-U** or **--universal**
Use a universal :envvar:`fish_user_paths` - this is the default if it doesn't already exist.
**-P** or **--path**
Manipulate :envvar:`PATH` directly.
**-m** or **--move**
Move already-included directories to the place they would be added - by default they would be left in place and not added again.
**-v** or **--verbose**
Print the :doc:`set <set>` command used, and some more warnings, like when a path is skipped because it doesn't exist or is not a directory.
Verbose mode is automatically enabled when fish_add_path is used interactively and the output goes to the terminal.
**-n** or **--dry-run**
Print the ``set`` command that would be used without executing it.
**-h** or **--help**
Displays help about using this command.
If ``--move`` is used, it may of course lead to the path swapping order, so you should be careful doing that in config.fish.
Example
-------
::
# I just installed mycoolthing and need to add it to the path to use it.
# It is at /opt/mycoolthing/bin/mycoolthing,
# so let's add the directory: /opt/mycoolthing/bin.
> fish_add_path /opt/mycoolthing/bin
# I want my ~/.local/bin to be checked first,
# even if it was already added.
> fish_add_path -m ~/.local/bin
# I prefer using a global fish_user_paths
# This isn't saved automatically, I need to add this to config.fish
# if I want it to stay.
> fish_add_path -g ~/.local/bin ~/.otherbin /usr/local/sbin
# I want to append to the entire $PATH because this directory contains fallbacks
# This needs --path/-P because otherwise it appends to $fish_user_paths,
# which is added to the front of $PATH.
> fish_add_path --append --path /opt/fallback/bin
# I want to add the bin/ directory of my current $PWD (say /home/nemo/)
# -v/--verbose shows what fish_add_path did.
> fish_add_path -v bin/
set fish_user_paths /home/nemo/bin /usr/bin /home/nemo/.local/bin
# I have installed ruby via homebrew
> fish_add_path /usr/local/opt/ruby/bin