If you’ve been working with Node.js, you’ve likely encountered both npm and npx.
While they sound similar and are both integral parts of the Node....
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npm (officially lower cased) is not short for Node Package Manager. It's a common misconception.
I read ur explanations and that's really eye opener hence got to kn never trust LLMs blindly.
Thanks indeed!!!
@florianrappl ,So it’s really a backronym saying “npm is not an acronym”? That’s a bit mind-boggling!
Yes @jagroop2001 it is indeed mind-boggling. I never understood that. Surely, "npm" has not been coined in a vacuum - so it definitely meant / was intended to mean node package manager. I am really unsure why they did not just follow this (my assumption is that "they" are not affiliated with Node.js / the company original behind Node.js (Joyent) and therefore did not want to risk a trademark violation / having troubles due to the name).
Actually, the creator of npm (Isaac Z. Schlueter) worked closely with and on Node from the get go, eventually becoming the lead developer on Node at Joyent. I'm pretty sure the reason behind it not standing for Node Package Manager is just to be funny / mess with people. I don't think they really care what people think it stands for 😄
Yes that's what I was going to say.
Interesting stuff! For anyone looking for the source to this (like I was), it's on the npm GitHub README:
github.com/npm/cli?tab=readme-ov-f...
Please explain in detail
Ok what's unclear? "npm" is essentially just "npm". Officially it does not abbreviate anything. It's just made up - like any other product or company name.
Chat GPT says
In Node.js, npm stands for Node Package Manager. It is the default package manager for the Node.js runtime environment, allowing developers to share and reuse code by downloading, installing, and managing packages (libraries or modules) that other developers have published.
How about using your brain for once? I'll not explain what hallucinations are and why chatgpt can't be trusted as it should be clear right now. Otherwise, please educate yourself using sources such as the npm website or Wikipedia.
@florianrappl , @rajeshkumaryadavdotcom ,
There are two ways to look at it. One view is that "npm" stands for "Node Package Manager," describing what it does (like Standard A). But officially, "npm" is just a name now, not an abbreviation (like Standard B). Both ideas exist, but the official stance is that it's just a name.
Sure we can agree on this (but nitpick: instead of "stands for" I'd phrase it "is a". As mentioned it does not stand for anything meaningful).
@florianrappl are you being rude buddy? Sorry if I asked you question
@rajeshkumaryadavdotcom Hmm I did not see a question only a statement from chatgpt. Sorry if you meant a question instead - my intention was to motivate developers to look for their own answers using trustworthy sources instead of picking something from a LLM. So what is it you want to know my friend?
Thank buddy, I got your point 😉
Amazing knowledge...
I'm a complete beginner and I'm so excited to learn something interesting like this in easy way as mentioned in this article.... Is Node.js an ecosystem...? Is that a software or is that a programming language?
@ksns_sarwani ,
Absolutely! Node.js is not a programming language; it's a runtime environment that lets you run JavaScript on the server-side. It’s part of an ecosystem because it includes npm, a package manager with thousands of libraries and tools, making it easy to build full applications.
I got that... Thanks for detailed info... Can you tell me abt what does an ecosystem contains as a whole?
By your answer it seems that it is like what I listened about java runtime environment. (by the way, don't think I know completely abt JRM but I just read abt that in an article like this. )
@ksns_sarwani ,
You're welcome!
Yes, exactly—like the Java Runtime Environment, an ecosystem includes everything needed to run and build apps, such as libraries, tools, and package managers (like npm in Node.js) to support development.
OK.. Thank you... Need to know a lot... I'm at very beginning...
@ksns_sarwani ,🌟 Don't get disheartened if you don't know 100% about something; sometimes it's not required.
✨ Just focus on working towards your goals, whether it's learning new tech, landing a job, or anything else!
💪 Keep pushing forward and keep fighting!
Sure.... And thank you 😊
Already I knew but I prefer use pnpm, anyway thanks 👍
pnpm is basically npm, but it handles packages in a different, more efficient way. pnpm, npm, and yarn all handle package installation for an application differently. You probably already know this, this is more for other users who may not know the difference.
Absolutely! pnpm is indeed a great alternative to npm and Yarn, offering a unique approach to package management. While npm installs packages in a flat node_modules structure, pnpm uses a content-addressable store, which means it links packages from a central location. This not only saves disk space but also speeds up installation times.
npm is a package manager for Node.js, used to install and manage libraries or tools globally or locally. npx comes with npm and allows you to run Node packages without installing them globally, useful for one-time use or testing tools without polluting the system. Click Here for details
@adam_josh_684366006495d7c , thanks for sharing !!
Anybody knows if there's such a NPX like terminal command for Python? That would be really useful than install bunches of libraries that you may never use again!
@peter_wayland ,
I think,
you can use pypx or pypackages for similar functionality in Python! They allow you to run Python packages without globally installing them, making it easy to try out packages without cluttering your environment.
Thanks for the tip brow.now I believe there's no such a thing for C++ right!?
@peter_wayland ,
That's right! C++ doesn’t have a single ecosystem like Node.js or Java. Instead, it relies on various compilers (like GCC, Clang, or MSVC) and libraries you can include as needed, but there isn't a unified package manager or runtime environment.
Yeah that's what I've thought. Thanks
@jagroop2001 ,
Thank you; this is a really clear and informative piece.
@works ,You're welcome!
Btw, I'm not sure if it's officially the case, but npx is typically thought to stand for Node Package eXecutor. Helps to understand what it does
@bagelbomb ,
Interesting !!
npx is generally known as Node Package eXecutor, used to run Node.js packages directly.Nice article and explanatory
Thanks @marusoft
Thank you
@serkancakmak ,You're welcome !
Helpful!
@vickey74238426 , thanks
Yes, this is what I wanted.I had some doubts related to this but now all are clear.
@as_ayush01 ,
I'm glad that helped clarify things for you!
Thank you, it's wonderful!
@laxmann ,You're welcome!
The comments on this site are quite bizarre sometimes. People saying "I knew that already", "I don't even know what node is", "I'm not using node" like why are any of you reading this article? 😂