There are plenty of cases where you will have to use a particular version for a project and a different version for another project.
If you have Elixir installed without using a version manager, you will have issues switching between versions
This is very important while programming in Elixir, which requires Erlang. In this short article, we will go through how to install different versions of Elixir and Erlang using ASDF on macOS.
ASDF can be used for many programming languages which include ruby, node js, elixir, erlang etc
Install asdf
brew install asdf
After installing asdf, you need to install plugins. Plugins are the different languages you are choosing to manage with Asdf. We will be using asdf-erlang and asdf-elixir.
Add Elixir Plugin
asdf plugin-add elixir https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-elixir.git
Add Erlang Plugin
asdf plugin-add erlang https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf-erlang.git
We will need to list all versions of elixir and erlang to know the version to install.
List Erlang versions
asdf list-all erlang
Install Erlang
asdf install erlang <version_no>
List Elixir versions
asdf list-all elixir
Install Elixir
asdf install elixir <version_no>
Check Elixir version
elixir --version
In conclusion, asdf is a versatile tool that simplifies the installation process of Elixir and its dependencies, such as Erlang. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily set up your development environment and start exploring the exciting world of Elixir programming.