NPM (Node Package Manager) is the package manager that comes integrated with Node.js, and is widely used in the JavaScript development ecosystem.
In fact, NPM has become an essential tool for software development. Logically, it is especially employed in the development of Web applications, but it is not exclusive to this field.
In itself, NPM is a command-line application. This means that we interact with it by typing commands in our terminal.
With NPM, we can install, update, and uninstall packages from the command line. But it also provides us with tools to manage our projects, such as initializing the project, executing scripts for automation, or managing dependencies.
On the other hand, it should be noted that NPM is not the only package manager that exists. However, in general, they all work more or less similarly. So, if you know how to use NPM, it will be very easy for you to learn to use another one if the case arises.
Therefore, it is very interesting to learn to use this package manager if you want to enter the world of programming. And that’s why we are going to dedicate a series of posts to it.
Advantages of using NPM
After this, what advantages does NPM have that have made it a fundamental tool for development? Here’s a summary.
Dependency management: NPM allows us to specify the dependencies of our project in the
package.jsonfile. Additionally, it automatically manages the dependencies of our installed packages.Versioning: NPM allows us to specify the version of the packages we want to install. This ensures that we are always using the correct versions and avoids conflicts between different versions of the same dependency.
Scripts: NPM allows us to define scripts to automate common tasks, such as running tests, compiling code, or starting the server.
Large number of packages: NPM has a very extensive online repository that houses a wide variety of packages and libraries. Thus, we have a large number of resources to add to our project.