WhatExec.Cli 1.0.0

WhatExec

Table of Contents

• Description
• Installation
• Quick start
• Examples
• Features
• Contributing
• Troubleshooting
• License

Description

WhatExec is a small cross-platform CLI that locates executable files and commands on a system. It searches common locations and can perform deeper searches to return the first (or N) locations for each provided command or executable filename.

Required runtime

• .NET SDK 8.0 or newer is required to build the project or install/run as a .NET global tool. End users running a published self-contained binary do not need the SDK but must use a compatible runtime for their platform.

Installation

Choose the installation method that matches your needs:

• Install as a .NET global tool (recommended for end users):

  dotnet tool install -g WhatExec.Cli

  After installation invoke as:

  whatexec <cli command> <executable(s) to locate>

• Development For contributors building locally, use:

  dotnet restore dotnet build --configuration Release

  Then run the built binary from the output folder for testing.

Quick start

Locate the system path for notepad.exe (installed as a dotnet tool):

whatexec find notepad.exe

Locate multiple commands when installed as a tool:

whatexec find git.exe node.exe

Limit results to three locations per command:

whatexec find notepad.exe --limit 3

Enable interactive mode (prompts for input):

whatexec find --interactive

Enable verbose output and timing:

whatexe notepad.exe --verbose --report-time

Examples

• Locate a single executable:

  whatexec find notepad.exe

• Locate multiple commands at once:

  whatexec find git.exe node.exe code.exe

• Search an entire drive using the advanced search commands (see repository Commands folder for details)

Features

• Locate executables and command files across PATH and common directories
• Configurable result limits (--limit / -l)
• Interactive mode for entering commands (-i / --interactive)
• Verbose output and timing (--verbose, --report-time)
• Graceful handling of access errors and partial results

Troubleshooting

• WinGet / package manager disclaimer: Applications installed via WinGet or other system package managers may be installed into protected or virtualized directories which can be hidden from standard file-system searches. If an app installed via WinGet does not appear in WhatExec results, check whether the app's installation directory is protected or run with elevated permissions.
• If you receive permission errors when searching deep directories, run with elevated privileges or use interactive mode to skip problematic locations.
• If commands are not found, ensure they are on the PATH environment variable or provide the full filename (e.g. notepad.exe).

Contributing

Contributions welcome. To develop locally:

dotnet restore dotnet build

Run the built binary from the output folder to test changes. Open issues or PRs on the repository and include tests where applicable.

License

WhatExec (CLI) is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL 2.0). See the LICENSE file for details.