Volta is a JavaScript Tool Manager that allows you to easily install and manage Node.js runtimes, npm and Yarn package managers, as well as any other binaries from npm. It provides a simple and efficient way to switch between different versions of tools and manage them within your projects.

Use case 1: List all installed tools

Code:

volta list

Motivation: To determine which tools are currently installed on your system and their versions.

Explanation: The list subcommand is used to display a list of all the installed tools managed by Volta.

Example output:

╭───────────────────┬───────────────╮
│         Tool      │     Version   │
├───────────────────┼───────────────┤
│        Node       │    14.17.6    │
├───────────────────┼───────────────┤
│        npm        │    7.24.0     │
├───────────────────┼───────────────┤
│        yarn       │    1.22.10    │
╰───────────────────┴───────────────╯

Use case 2: Install the latest version of a tool

Code:

volta install node

Motivation: To ensure that you have the latest version of a specific tool installed on your system.

Explanation: The install subcommand is used to install the latest version of a specific tool. In this example, the command installs the latest version of Node.js.

Example output:

Checking for existing installation of Node...
ℹ Found Node 14.17.6 ( /path/to/node ) installed. Will use it.

Use case 3: Install a specific version of a tool

Code:

volta install yarn@1.2.3

Motivation: To install a specific version of a tool required by your project.

Explanation: The install subcommand followed by the tool name and version is used to install a specific version of the tool. In this example, the command installs version 1.2.3 of Yarn.

Example output:

Checking for existing installation of Yarn...
✖ No existing installation of Yarn found. Installing version 1.2.3...
✔ Successfully installed Yarn 1.2.3 ( /path/to/yarn )

Use case 4: Choose a tool version for a project (will store it in package.json)

Code:

volta pin node@14.17.6

Motivation: To specify a particular tool version required for your project and store it in the package.json file.

Explanation: The pin subcommand followed by the tool name and version is used to choose a specific version of the tool for your project. In this example, the command pins version 14.17.6 of Node.js.

Example output:

Pinning Node runtime version to: 14.17.6

Use case 5: Display help

Code:

volta help

Motivation: To get detailed information and instructions on how to use the Volta command and its subcommands.

Explanation: The help subcommand is used to display general help information about Volta.

Example output:

Volta is a JavaScript Tool Manager...

Usage:
  volta <command> [options] [arguments]

...

For more details, run 'volta help <command>'.

Use case 6: Display help for a subcommand

Code:

volta help install

Motivation: To get specific help information and instructions for a particular subcommand of Volta.

Explanation: The help subcommand followed by the subcommand name is used to display detailed help information about a particular subcommand. In this example, the command displays help for the install subcommand.

Example output:

volta install <tool[@version]

Conclusion:

The volta command provides a convenient way to manage JavaScript tools such as Node.js, npm, and Yarn. It offers various subcommands to install, pin, list, and manage different versions of tools. By using these subcommands, you can easily switch between tool versions, install specific versions, and manage your tools within different projects.