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Copilot AI commented Jan 4, 2026

Analyzed nvm.sh (4662 lines) against phpvm.sh (2261 lines) to identify features needed for functional parity.

Analysis Deliverables

Three documentation files (957 lines total):

  • NVM_FEATURE_GAPS.md - Detailed implementation guide for each missing feature with code examples, effort estimates (~1500-2000 LOC), and 12-week roadmap
  • FEATURE_CHECKLIST.md - Quick reference with priority-sorted checklist and NVM→PHPVM command mapping
  • ANALYSIS_README.md - Navigation guide and onboarding for different audiences

Key Findings

Current parity: ~60% (9/22+ commands)

Critical Missing Features (HIGH priority)

  1. Alias system - No version aliasing at all

    phpvm alias default 8.2
    phpvm alias production 8.1
    phpvm use default
  2. Remote version listing - Cannot discover available versions before install

    phpvm ls-remote       # List all PHP versions
    phpvm ls-remote 8.2   # Filter by pattern
  3. Command execution - Cannot run commands with specific versions without global switch

    phpvm exec 8.2 composer install
    phpvm run 8.1 script.php
  4. Cache management - No unified cache directory or management

Important Missing Features (MEDIUM priority)

  • Install/use flags: --alias, --default, --save, --silent
  • Version resolution: phpvm version <pattern> for smart matching
  • phpvm unload for complete shell cleanup
  • phpvm reinstall-packages for extension migration
  • Enhanced phpvm debug output

phpvm Advantages Over NVM

  • Multi-package-manager support (apt, dnf, yum, pacman, brew)
  • Built-in self-tests and system diagnostics
  • Repository setup guidance for RHEL/Fedora
  • WSL-specific detection

Implementation Roadmap

Phase Duration Features
Core 3 weeks Alias, cache, exec/run
Remote 3 weeks ls-remote, version resolution
Options 2 weeks Flags, silent mode, unload
Advanced 2 weeks Migration, debug, patterns
QA 3 weeks Testing, docs, optimization

Total: ~15 weeks for full parity (3-5 weeks for HIGH priority only)

Original prompt

Perform a thorough scan of phpvm.sh file and come up with a list of new features that definitely need to be added in order for it to be functionally the same as nvm.sh


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Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Add new features to match nvm functionality Add comprehensive NVM feature gap analysis for phpvm Jan 4, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from Thavarshan January 4, 2026 07:37
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2 participants