NPM package manager
npm init
Initializes a new Node.js project and creates a package.json file.
Starts an interactive prompt asking for details like project name, version, description, entry point, test command, repository, keywords, author, and license.
npm init -y or npm init --yes
Automatically accepts default values for
all prompts, creating a package.json with default settings.
npm install
Installs all dependencies listed in package.json or a specific package if specified.
By default, it updates package-lock.json and creates a node_modules directory with the installed packages.
npm install
Installs all dependencies defined in package.json.
npm install <package-name>
Installs a specific package.
npm install <package-name>@<version>
Installs a specific version of a
package.
npm install <package-name> --save
Installs the package and updates
package.json under the dependencies field. As of npm 5, --save is the default
behavior, so this flag is often unnecessary.
npm install <package-name> --save-dev
Installs the package and updates
package.json under the devDependencies field. Useful for packages that are
only needed during development, such as testing frameworks, linters, and build
tools.
npm ci
Stands for "clean install". It installs dependencies from package-lock.json rather than package.json.
The command ensures that the node_modules directory is consistent with the
package-lock.json, deleting any existing node_modules directory and
reinstalling everything from scratch.
It is faster and more reliable for continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) workflows.
package-lock.json and npm-shrinkwrap.json
Both package-lock.json and npm-shrinkwrap.json are used in Node.js projects to ensure the consistency of installed packages across different environments. They help lock down the versions of dependencies, avoiding issues that may arise due to version mismatches.
package-lock.json
This file is mainly for applications to ensure the environment's consistency.
Automatically generated by npm when npm install is run. Helps improve the
speed and reliability of npm install by avoiding version resolution each time.
npm-shrinkwrap.json
The file is mainly for libraries/modules to lock down the dependencies for consumers. If npm-shrinkwrap.json is present, npm uses it instead of package-lock.json.
For modules that will be published, npm-shrinkwrap.json is recommended to ensure consumers get the exact dependency tree.
npm shrinkwrap
npm-shrinkwrap.json doesn't created automaticallt, it
needs to be manually created by running the command above.