Introduction to NPM and Yarn

What is NPM?

NPM (Node Package Manager) is a package manager for the JavaScript programming language. It is the default package manager for the JavaScript runtime environment Node.js. NPM is used to install, share, and manage dependencies for projects.

What is Yarn?

Yarn is a JavaScript package manager developed by Facebook. It aims to address some shortcomings of NPM, such as speed and security. Yarn uses a lockfile to ensure that the same dependencies are installed across all environments.

NPM vs Yarn

Here are some key differences:

• Yarn is faster than NPM due to parallel installation.
• Yarn uses a lockfile for consistent installs, whereas NPM uses a package-lock.json.
• Yarn has a better offline mode compared to NPM.

Installing NPM and Yarn

Follow these steps to install NPM and Yarn:

1. Download and install Node.js (includes NPM).
2. To install Yarn, run the following command:

npm install --global yarn

3. Verify the installations:

npm -v

yarn -v

Common Commands

Here are some frequently used commands for NPM and Yarn:

NPM Commands

• npm init - Initialize a new project.
• npm install [package] - Install a package.
• npm uninstall [package] - Remove a package.

Yarn Commands

• yarn init - Initialize a new project.
• yarn add [package] - Install a package.
• yarn remove [package] - Remove a package.

Best Practices

To make the most out of NPM and Yarn, follow these best practices:

• Always use a package manager to manage dependencies.
• Keep your package.json files organized.
• Regularly update your dependencies.
• Use a lockfile to ensure consistent installations.

FAQ