How to use the command wapm (with examples)

The wapm command is the WebAssembly package manager. It allows developers to manage WebAssembly packages and dependencies. With wapm, developers can easily download, install, uninstall, and execute WebAssembly packages.

Use case 1: Interactively create a new wapm.toml file

Code:

wapm init

Motivation: The wapm init command is used to initialize a new wapm.toml file. This file serves as the manifest for the project, where all the project dependencies are listed. By running wapm init, developers can interactively create this file with the required information.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• init is the subcommand used to initialize a new wapm.toml file.

Example output:

Initialized empty wapm.toml file in current directory.

Use case 2: Download all the packages listed as dependencies in wapm.toml

Code:

wapm install

Motivation: The wapm install command is used to download and install all the packages listed as dependencies in the wapm.toml file. By running this command, developers can easily fetch and set up all the required dependencies for their project.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• install is the subcommand used to download and install packages.

Example output:

Downloading package: @my-package@1.2.3
Downloaded package: @my-package@1.2.3

Use case 3: Download a specific version of a package and add it to the list of dependencies in wapm.toml

Code:

wapm install package@version

Motivation: The wapm install package@version command allows developers to download a specific version of a package and add it to the list of dependencies in the wapm.toml file. This provides developers with the ability to manage the exact versions of packages used in their projects.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• install is the subcommand used to download and install packages.
• package@version specifies the package name and version to be installed.

Example output:

Downloading package: @my-package@1.2.3
Downloaded package: @my-package@1.2.3

Use case 4: Download a package and install it globally

Code:

wapm install --global package

Motivation: The wapm install --global package command downloads a package and installs it globally, making it available for use in any project or context. This is helpful when developers want to install packages that are commonly used across multiple projects.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• install is the subcommand used to download and install packages.
• --global flag specifies that the package should be installed globally.
• package specifies the package to be installed.

Example output:

Downloading package: @my-package@1.2.3
Downloaded package: @my-package@1.2.3
Package @my-package@1.2.3 installed globally.

Use case 5: Uninstall a package and remove it from the list of dependencies in wapm.toml

Code:

wapm uninstall package

Motivation: The wapm uninstall package command allows developers to uninstall a package and remove it from the list of dependencies in the wapm.toml file. This is useful when a package is no longer needed or when a different version of the package needs to be installed.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• uninstall is the subcommand used to uninstall packages.
• package specifies the package to be uninstalled.

Example output:

Uninstalling package: @my-package@1.2.3
Package @my-package@1.2.3 uninstalled successfully.

Use case 6: Print a tree of locally installed dependencies

Code:

wapm list

Motivation: The wapm list command allows developers to print a tree of all locally installed dependencies. This provides a way to visualize the package dependencies in the project and understand the project’s current state.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• list is the subcommand used to list installed packages.

Example output:

Installed packages:
├─ @my-package@1.2.3
└─ @other-package@4.5.6

Use case 7: List top-level globally installed packages

Code:

wapm list --global

Motivation: The wapm list --global command lists the top-level globally installed packages. This provides an overview of the global packages available on the system.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• list is the subcommand used to list installed packages.
• --global flag specifies that only globally installed packages should be listed.

Example output:

Globally installed packages:
├─ @global-package@2.3.4
└─ @other-global-package@3.4.5

Use case 8: Execute a package command using the Wasmer runtime

Code:

wapm run command_name arguments

Motivation: The wapm run command allows developers to execute a command from a specific package using the Wasmer runtime. This is useful when a package provides a command-line interface or a set of executable commands that need to be run.

Explanation:

• wapm is the command to interact with the WebAssembly package manager.
• run is the subcommand used to execute a command from a package.
• command_name specifies the name of the command to be executed.
• arguments are the arguments to be passed to the command.

Example output:

Executing command: my-package-command with arguments: arg1 arg2
Command output:
This is the output of my-package-command.

Conclusion:

The wapm command provides developers with a comprehensive set of features to manage WebAssembly packages and dependencies. With commands like install, uninstall, and run, developers can easily download, install, uninstall, and execute packages. The wapm.toml file acts as the project manifest and allows developers to specify package dependencies. Overall, wapm simplifies the management of WebAssembly packages, making it easier for developers to work with WebAssembly in their projects.