Is it possible to run an npm script in the current context using the source operator?

Question

I'm trying to write a simple Node.js CLI to more easily navigate directories. For the sake of simplicity, let's say this is the CLI I'm trying to make:

test.js

#!/usr/bin/env node
console.log('hey there');
var exec = require('child_process').exec;
exec('cd ~/code/');

package.json

{
  "name": "example",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "description": "Example CLI that needs to run in current context",
  "bin": {
    "myScript": "test.js"
  },
  "engines": {
    "node": "0.10.*",
    "npm": "1.2.*"
  }
}

With both of those in the same folder, running npm link will create the CLI. After that, if I run myScript, it outputs "hey there" but doesn't change directories. I know that this is because myScript is run in it's own subshell, which is subsequently terminated. I've read here about the source operator and found that it's used like such:

. filename [arguments]

I've tried doing . myScript to force my code to run in the current context. However, by using the source operator, the code is interpreted as bash instead of js. Here's the error I get:

-bash: /Users/dallinosmun/.nvm/v0.10.21/bin/myScript: line 3: syntax error near unexpected token `('
-bash: /Users/dallinosmun/.nvm/v0.10.21/bin/myScript: line 3: `var exec = require('child_process').exec;'

So, any ideas on how to get a Node.js CLI to run in the current context?

Answer 1

It is not possible since the exec command starts a new process. But this is a link on a way to bypass the problem:

how do I make node child_process exec continuously