In this tutorial, we will learn everything about NPM, npm scripts & packages, as well as, latest npm packages for developers to become more productive developers. Since Node.js was created, it has been sweeping the globe. Node.js has been used to build hundreds of thousands of systems, prompting the developer community to claim that . JavaScript is eating software The popular package manager npm, which allows JavaScript developers to share useful packages, is one of the main reasons for Node's success. There are millions of packages installed using npm per day, but as a beginner, we often don't know, what is NPM, and how to use it? That's why I'm writing this tutorial. What is NPM? Using npm efficiently is a cornerstone of modern online development to increase developer productivity, whether it's solely for Node.js, as a package manager or building tools for the front-end, or as part of processes in other languages and platforms. For a newbie, really grasping npm as a tool and understanding the underlying principles can be challenging - I spend a lot of time trying to figure out minute nuances that others would consider insignificant or take for granted. NPM is divided into two parts: Online repository for JavaScript packages. CLI application to install packages. (command-line interface) How NPM Dependencies are Delivered to Developers? The fulfillment center employs an army of dedicated servers, which will be assigned as personal assistants to each npmjs.com customer to help with this process. npmjs.com As a result, dependencies are supplied to JavaScript developers in the following format: The procedure for publishing a package for your JS friends would be as follows: That's why NPM delivers the desired packages to JavaScript developers quickly. Guide to package.json The file is a manifest of your project that includes information about the packages and applications it depends on, as well as special metadata like as the project's name, description, and author. package.json The file can be seen as a Passport with all the information about the user. This file is also send with the NPM package to the developer. package.json When is used to start a JavaScript or Node.js project, is also created with it. npm init package.json Metadata of Package.json Whether it's a web application, a Node.js module, or a simple JavaScript library, you'll nearly always discover metadata particular to the project inside a . package.json Metadata aids in the identification of the project and serves as a starting point for users and contributors seeking information about it. : There are several types of metadata in package.json : The name of the package choosed by author. name : Version displays the version of the package you are using. . version Initially, it is displayed as 1.0.0 : Description contains the description of the package, written by the author. description : The Project's License is stored on the license data of the package. license If you visit your , you will see all the information about the package, package.json this data is shown as: {
  "name": "Developer Noon",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "#1 Programming Tutorials
  "main": "index.js"
  "license": "MIT"
} How to edit file? package.json To update your file, you just need to go to the file in your code editor, preferably , and change the name, description, version, and license. After that, you can push your package. package.json Visual Studio Code and in dependencies devDependencies package.json The and flags on the command are used to install . They're intended for use in both production and development & test environments. —save —save-dev npm install dependencies Meanwhile, it's critical to comprehend the possible signs that precede the semantic versions: : the most recent minor release If the version is the most recent minor version of the 1 major series, a specification might install it. ^ 1.3.0 ^1.0.4 : the most recent patch release specification may install version if that is the most recent minor version of the minor series, just as does for minor releases. ~ ~1.0.4 1.0.7 1.0 ^ Learning with examples is always a better way to learn. . Let's hop on some of the examples of dependencies and devDependencies Here is an example of , that you will find on any Package: dependencies {
  "dependencies": {
    "@actions/core": "^1.2.3",
    "@actions/github": "^2.1.1
} That's why you will find dependencies on the file. package.json Now, let's hop on what the file looks like in your package: devDependencies {
  "devDependencies": {
     "@types/jest": "^25.1.4",
     "@types/node": "^13.9.0",
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^2.22.0",
     "@zeit/ncc": "^0.21.1",
     "eslint": "^6.8.0",
     "eslint-plugin-github": "^3.4.1",
     "eslint-plugin-jest": "^23.8.2",
     "jest": "^25.1.0",
     "jest-circus": "^25.1.0",
     "js-yaml": "^3.13.1",
     "prettier": "^1.19.1",
     "ts-jest": "^25.2.1",
     "typescript": "^3.8.3"
     }
} There is a significant distinction between dependencies and the other common components of a package. The difference between Dependencies and is that they're both objects with multiple key & value pairs. package.json Every value in both and is the version range that's acceptable to install, and every key is the name of a package. dependencies devDependencies What is ? package-lock.json The exact versions of the dependencies used in an npm-based JavaScript project are described in this file. is an ingredient table, whereas is a generic descriptive label. Package-lock.json package.json is similar to how we don't usually read the ingredient table of a product. Package-lock.json file line by line. Developers are not supposed to read package-lock.json The command generates , which is also read by our NPM CLI tool to ensure that build environments for the project are replicated with . npm install package-lock.json npm ci Introduction to basic NPM commands There are tons of npm commands that are here to facilitate developers. Some of the most important, mainly , , and to be specific: npm install npm ci npm audit 1. npm install will, by default, install the most recent version of the package with the version sign. In the context of an npm project, will download packages into the project's node modules folder according to specifications, upgrading package versions where possible based on and version matching. npm install <package-name> npm install package.json If you want to install a package in the global context that you can use anywhere on your machine, you can use the global flag . -g Because npm has made installing JavaScript packages so simple, this command is frequently misused. 2. npm ci So, if is best for a production environment, is there a command that is best for my local development and testing environment? npm install —production is the way to go. npm ci Similar to how is generated whenever is called if it doesn't already exist in the project, uses this file to download the exact version of each individual package that the project depends on. package-lock.json npm install npm ci This is how we ensure that the context of our project remains consistent across machines, whether they are our development laptops or CI build environments like GitHub Actions. 3. npm audit NPM packages are vulnerable to bad authors with malicious intentions due to the large number of packages that have been published and can be easily installed. The npm.js organization came up with the idea of after noticing a problem in the ecosystem. They keep track of security flaws that developers can check their dependencies for with the command. npm audit npm audit informs developers about vulnerabilities and whether there are any versions with patches to install. npm audit is one of the most important functions for developers, who publish their own npm package. npm fund How to instantly initialize a npm Project? You can use the flag on the command to automatically populate all options with the default values if you want to get on with building your project and don't want to spend time answering the prompts from . --yes npm init npm init npm init You can simply use this command to instantly initialize your npm project: npm init --yes How to install modules with npm install? When you're first getting started with , one of the most basic things you should learn is how to install modules from . npm npm As you learn more about installing modules, you'll notice some differences, but here's the gist of what you need to know to install a standalone module into the current directory: npm install <module> Replace with the name of the module you want to install in the above command. <module> Conclusion This guide helps you with getting started with NPM, and some useful commands for beginners to know before getting started. NPM helps you to , according to . You can look into the documentation for npm to learn more about new npm technologies. take your JavaScript development up a notch npmjs.com Thanks for Reading! . Subscribe to our newsletter

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