asdf/docs/core-manage-versions.md

## Install Version

```shell
asdf install <name> <version>
# asdf install erlang 17.3
```

_If a plugin supports downloading & compiling from source, you can specify `ref:foo` where `foo` is a specific branch, tag, or commit. You'll need to use the same name and reference when uninstalling too._

## Install Latest Stable Version

```shell
asdf install <name> latest
# asdf install erlang latest
```

Install latest stable version that begins with a given string.

```shell
asdf install <name> latest:<version>
# asdf install erlang latest:17
```

## List Installed Versions

```shell
asdf list <name>
# asdf list erlang
```

## List All Available Versions

```shell
asdf list all <name>
# asdf list all erlang
```

Limit versions to those that begin with a given string.

```shell
asdf list all <name> <version>
# asdf list all erlang 17
```

## Show Latest Stable Version

```shell
asdf latest <name>
# asdf latest erlang
```

Show latest stable version that begins with a given string.

```shell
asdf latest <name> <version>
# asdf latest erlang 17
```

## Set Current Version

```shell
asdf global <name> <version> [<version>...]
asdf shell <name> <version> [<version>...]
asdf local <name> <version> [<version>...]
# asdf global elixir 1.2.4
```

`global` writes the version to `$HOME/.tool-versions`.

`shell` set the version to an environment variable named `ASDF_${LANG}_VERSION`, for the current shell session only.

`local` writes the version to `$PWD/.tool-versions`, creating it if needed.

See the `.tool-versions` [file in the Configuration section](core-configuration) for details.

?> Alternatively, if you want to set a version only for the current shell session
or for executing just a command under a particular tool version, you
can set an environment variable like `ASDF_${TOOL}_VERSION`.

The following example runs tests on an Elixir project with version `1.4.0`.
The version format is the same supported by the `.tool-versions` file.

```shell
ASDF_ELIXIR_VERSION=1.4.0 mix test
```

## Fallback to System Version

To use the system version of tool `<name>` instead of an asdf managed version you can set the version for the tool to `system`.

Set system with either `global`, `local` or `shell` as outlined in [Set Current Version](#set-current-version) section above.

```shell
asdf local <name> system
# asdf local python system
```

## View Current Version

```shell
asdf current
# asdf current
# erlang 17.3 (set by /Users/kim/.tool-versions)
# nodejs 6.11.5 (set by /Users/kim/cool-node-project/.tool-versions)

asdf current <name>
# asdf current erlang
# 17.3 (set by /Users/kim/.tool-versions)
```

## Uninstall Version

```shell
asdf uninstall <name> <version>
# asdf uninstall erlang 17.3
```

## Shims

When asdf installs a package it creates shims for every executable program in that package in a `$ASDF_DATA_DIR/shims` directory (default `~/.asdf/shims`). This directory being on the `$PATH` (by means of `asdf.sh` or `asdf.fish`) is how the installed programs are made available in the environment.

The shims themselves are really simple wrappers that `exec` a helper program `asdf exec` passing it the name of the plugin and path to the executable in the installed package that the shim is wrapping.

The `asdf exec` helper determines the version of the package to use (as specified in `.tool-versions` file, selected by `asdf local ...` or `asdf global ...`), the final path to the executable in the package installation directory (this can be manipulated by the `exec-path` callback in the plugin) and the environment to execute in (also provided by the plugin - `exec-env` script), and finally it executes it.

!> Note that because this system uses `exec` calls, any scripts in the package that are meant to be sourced by the shell instead of executed need to be accessed directly instead of via the shim wrapper. The two asdf commands: `which` and `where` can help with this by returning the path to the installed package:

```shell
# returns path to main executable in current version
source $(asdf which ${PLUGIN})/../script.sh

# returns path to the package installation directory
source $(asdf where ${PLUGIN} $(asdf current ${PLUGIN}))/bin/script.sh
```

### By-passing asdf shims

If for some reason you want to by-pass asdf shims or want your environment variables automatically set upon entering your project's directory, the [asdf-direnv](https://github.com/asdf-community/asdf-direnv) plugin can be helpful. Be sure to check its README for more details.