Useful npm commands and tricks

npm-commands.md

npm v3.10 - ◾

⚠️ This gist is outdated, but most of the commands are still relevant. ⚠️

Update npm itself

npm install -g npm
# Downgrade to a specific version
npm install -g npm@6

Check npm version

npm --version

Install a package

# Local 
npm install package-name

# Local + make an entry in package.json as dependency
npm install package-name --save

# Install specific version of a package
npm install package-name@1.2.3

# Global
npm install -g package-name

Un-install a package

# Local
npm uninstall package-name

# Global
npm uninstall package-name -g

Get package info

# Home page
npm home package_name
# Github repo
npm repo package_name

Check for outdated packages in package.json

# Local
npm outdated

# Global
npm outdated -g

# Production only
npm outdated --prod

List installed packages

# Local with tree
npm ls

# Local - only parent
npm ls --depth=0

# Global - only parent
npm ls -g --depth=0

# List production packages only
npm ls --prod

Remove un-used packages from node_modules folder

npm prune

# Remove all devDependencies from node_modules 
npm prune --production

Update all packages listed in package.json

npm update

Update a single package

npm update package_name

Remove duplicate packages from node_modules

npm dedupe

List packages in cache

npm cache ls

Clean npm cache

npm cache clean -f

💡 Bump version number in package.json and create a git tag automatically

npm version 1.2.3

Lockdown package versions for production

npm shrinkwrap
# Also include devDependencies
npm shrinkwrap --dev

Run npm in production (will not download devDependencies)

npm install --only=production

Install a package from github

npm install git://github.com/user-name/package-name.git#v0.1.0
# OR
npm install user/repo#v1.0.1

Install a package from local cache

npm install --cache-min 999999 package-name

View package info from its package.json file

npm view package_name property_in_json

npm install -g without sudo

mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
chown -r user_name '~/.npm-global'

Some npm global configs

npm config set save-prefix ~
npm config set save-exact true
npm config set engine-strict true
npm config set ignore-scripts
npm config set init.author.name your_name  
npm config set init.author.email your_email  

Enable Auto completion

npm completion >> ~/.bashrc

• Package.json extended docs
• Package.json cheatsheet
• Validate package.json
• npm alternative - yarn

Reserved comment

I want install save-exact for devDependencies but tilde version for dependencies. Can i set npm config like this : npm config set save-exact-dev=true for devDependencies and npm config set save-prefix '~' for dependencies? I find I can not do this. After npm config set save-prefix '~', i have to use npm i vite@4.0.0 -D -E if i need to install exact version.