README.md

Using gobin to install/run tools

In the context of golang/go/issues/24250 and golang/go/issues/27653, gobin is a work-in-progress experiment that combines aspects of go get, go install and go run.

This guide presents a short introduction to gobin.

Walk-through

Install gobin:

$ GO111MODULE=off go get -u github.com/myitcv/gobin
$ which gobin
/home/gopher/bin/gobin

or download a binary from the latest release.

Update your PATH and verify we can find gobin in our new PATH:

$ export PATH=$(go env GOPATH)/bin:$PATH
$ which gobin
/home/gopher/bin/gobin

We are now ready to use gobin.

Examples

Install gohack:

$ gobin github.com/rogpeppe/gohack
Installed github.com/rogpeppe/gohack@v1.0.0 to /home/gopher/bin/gohack

Install a specific version of gohack:

$ gobin github.com/rogpeppe/gohack@v1.0.0
Installed github.com/rogpeppe/gohack@v1.0.0 to /home/gopher/bin/gohack

Print the gobin cache location of a specific gohack version:

$ gobin -p github.com/rogpeppe/gohack@v1.0.0
/home/gopher/.cache/gobin/github.com/rogpeppe/gohack/@v/v1.0.0/github.com/rogpeppe/gohack/gohack

Run a specific gohack version:

$ gobin -run github.com/rogpeppe/gohack@v1.0.0 -help
The gohack command checks out Go module dependencies
into a directory where they can be edited, and adjusts
the go.mod file appropriately.
...

Examples: using -m

Define a module:

$ cat go.mod
module example.com/hello

go 1.12

Add a tool dependency:

$ cat tools.go
// +build tools

package tools

import (
	_ "golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer"
)

Review the version of stringer being used:

$ gobin -m -p golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer
/home/gopher/hello/.gobincache/golang.org/x/tools/@v/v0.0.0-20181102223251-96e9e165b75e/golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer/stringer

Check the help for stringer:

$ gobin -m -run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer -help
Usage of stringer:
	stringer [flags] -type T [directory]
	stringer [flags] -type T files... # Must be a single package
For more information, see:
...

Use stringer via a go:generate directive:

$ cat main.go
package main

import "fmt"

//go:generate gobin -m -run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/stringer -type=Pill

type Pill int

const (
	Placebo Pill = iota
	Aspirin
	Ibuprofen
	Paracetamol
	Acetaminophen = Paracetamol
)

func main() {
	fmt.Printf("For headaches, take %v\n", Ibuprofen)
}

Generate and run as a "test":

$ go generate
$ go run .
For headaches, take Ibuprofen

Version details

go version go1.12.5 linux/amd64