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npm

Getting Started with npm

Introduction

npm (Node Package Manager) is the default package manager for Node.js. It allows you to install, update, and manage packages (libraries or modules) for your Node.js applications.

Installing and checking npm version

Install Node.js from nodejs.org, which includes npm. After installation, you can check the installed version of npm using the following command:

npm --version
# or
npm -v

Initializing a new project

npm init # Interactive setup
# or
npm init -y # Creates a package.json with default values

Installing packages

Install dependencies from package.json

npm install
# or
npm i

Install a specific package

npm install <package-name>              # Install and add to dependencies
npm install <package-name> --save-dev   # Add to devDependencies
npm install <package-name> -D           # Shorthand for --save-dev
npm install <package-name> -g           # Install globally
npm install <package-name>@<version>    # Install specific version
npm install <package-name>@latest       # Install latest version

Uninstall a package

npm uninstall <package-name>          # Uninstall package
npm uninstall <package-name> -g       # Uninstall globally
npm rm <package-name>                 # Shorthand for uninstall

Viewing, searching and exploring packages

Viewing packages

npm view <package-name>               # View package details
npm view <package-name> versions      # View all versions of a package
npm view <package-name> version       # View the latest version of a package
npm view <package-name> description   # View the description of a package

Searching for packages

npm search <search-term>              # Search for packages with similar terms

Exploring packages

npm docs <package-name>                # Open package documentation in the browser
npm home <package-name>                # Open package homepage in the browser
npm repo <package-name>                # Open package repository in the browser

Managing packages

Updating packages

npm outdated                           # Check for outdated packages
npm update <package-name>              # Update a specific package
npm update                             # Update all packages

Listing installed packages

npm list                              # List installed packages in the current project
npm list -g                           # List globally installed packages
npm list --depth=0                    # List top-level installed packages only

Running scripts

npm run <script-name>                 # Run a script defined in package.json
npm start                             # Run the 'start' script
npm test                              # Run the 'test' script
npm build                             # Run the 'build' script

Cache management

npm cache verify                      # Verify the integrity of the npm cache
npm cache clean                       # Clear the npm cache
npm cache clean --force               # Force clear the npm cache

Configuring npm

npm config list                       # List all npm configuration settings
npm config set <key> <value>          # Set a configuration value
npm config get <key>                  # Get the value of a configuration key
npm config delete <key>               # Delete a configuration key

Auditing and security

npm audit                             # Audit dependencies for vulnerabilities
npm audit fix                         # Fix vulnerabilities in dependencies
npm audit fix --force                 # Force fix vulnerabilities, may update major versions

Publishing packages

npm login                             # Log in to your npm account (npmjs.com)
npm publish                           # Publish a package to the npm registry
npm version <new-version>             # Bump the version of your package (e.g., patch, minor, major)
npm unpublish <package-name>          # Unpublish a package (within 72 hours of publishing)

Other useful commands

npm help                              # Get general help on npm
npm help <command>                    # Get help on a specific npm command
npm ci                                # Install dependencies from package-lock.json (clean install)
npm prune                             # Remove extraneous packages
npm dedupe                           # Reduce duplication in the node_modules folder