I am a total Javascript newbie aiming to configure my Mac nicely for development.
NPM is installed.
I notice that folder node_modules exists in my Users/MyName directory.
I think this is a result of having either installed Node/NPM or specifically run npm install airtable the other day, which I did at the time in Users/MyName.
When I npm uninstall airtable, it removes airtable and its dependency folders from nodule_modules, leaving the following: #types and package-lock.json (hidden).
If I cd to new project-specific directory Users/MyName/Projects/Code/myusername/airtable-test and run npm install airtable from there, I expected the packages may get installed in that folder. However, again, they get installed up at Users/MyName/node_modules.
In both cases, .package-lock.json (non-hidden) and package.json are in Users/MyName, which seems messy to me. (I haven't done anything non-standard in install).
Is this the way things should be?
Attempts to solve:
I seem to read, including from questions on Stackoverflow, that storing modules at Users/MyName/node_modules is effectively storing them globally, accessible to any app, and such that projects don't have to get committed to server with all dependencies in tow - the idea being that, after you deploy your app, you then run npm install whilst in its folder, prompting it to install all dependencies.
Is this right? Should I be looking at storing all dependency modules in a project folder, or above and outside of it?
(If the answer to this question is opinion-based, I wasn't aware of that).
Here is what I believe is happening. You have your package.json in folder Users/MyName and you are running npm install in Users/MyName/Projects/Code/myusername/airtable-test. But the problem is you do not have package.json file in the folder Users/MyName/Projects/Code/myusername/airtable-test. So npm goes up in the directory to find the package.json and it found it in Users/MyName so it is installing the package there.
This is happening because the way npm identifies a project is by looking for package.json. If it does not find it in current directory than it assumes that you must be inside some sub directory of the project and start searching upwards in the folder hierarchy to find the package.json.
solution
Do npm init in the folder Users/MyName/Projects/Code/myusername/airtable-test. This will initialize the folder as a npm package (by creating package.json).
Related
I am just starting with node/npm and I have a lot of trouble with
the path to install the package
loading the package in node
I would like to have a package folder (no matter its path) with only the packages needed for my current project (I don't use a package.json just the normal npm install...). So instead of installing the package in the folder given by npm root, I thought I would install all the packages in a local folder with npm install --prefix ./node_modules pck_name.
If I install the packages globally, I am able to load the packages in Node with require('pck-nam'), but when I install in the local folder, I am unable to load the package in Node even by adding the folder path to node_path or with the full path of the packages in require:
const pck = require('C:/Users/Me/myproject/my_modules/node_modules/pck-name');
The error is Cannot find module 'pck-name'
Because I was stuck on this for a long time without finding a solution, I though of renaming the folder given by npm root and then doing a global install : because the folder is will be recreated from scratch, then I will just have the packages for my project. But after the install, I did npm list, and all my previous package are listed, including the one for current project.
I have read many questions/answers and many tuto but I am still unable to use npm/node the way I would like (I am used to python and I regularly use import for global/local modules so I may be thinking too much in a python way).
I can at least partially answer my question as I understand know why the previous package where still there after I renamed the folder. Although I didn't install from a package.json, npm install do create a package.json, or in my case a package-lock.json. And apparently when running a npm install package-name it will check package-lock.json re-install all the missing packages.
So it's not enough to rename the folder indicated by npm root, I also add to rename the package-lock.json. Now I am clear. I still think that I haven't found the best way to go but at least I have what I need.
Currently I've installed Node.js and npm on my Windows 10 and first package called hotkeys-js. I have no idea why I have least two node_modules directories within distinct paths, i.e.:
one in
C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm
which I do consider as parent working directory, correct if I am wrong?
second which is most questionable for me:
C:\Users\<*whateverUsernameWouldBe*>\node_modules\first_npm
also the structure within first_npm as:
|- node_modules
|- index.js
|- package.json
|- package-lock
Why do I have this separate directory at all? Is it local/global? What is the purpose of this one?
The node_modules folder under Program Files contains the npm modules installed as part of the nodejs installation package, and the npm modules you install with npm install -g whatever for common, global, use on your machine.
The node_modules folder in your project folder contains the npm modules you installed as part of your project.
Don't mess with the one under Program Files except via npm install -g and npm uninstall -g commands. At least until you get a little more proficient with this stuff.
Your life might be slightly easier if you create your own nodejs / npm projects in a folder called C:\Users\<*whateverUsernameWouldBe*>\myNodeProjects or something like that, rather than a folder called C:\Users\<*whateverUsernameWouldBe*>\node_modules. Folders named node_modules are generally maintained by npm. When you create one that isn't, you can confuse yourself. Ask me how I know this sometime.
Node.js newbie here, Windows 10. I npm install-ed some packages (without -g) while inside a directory that didn't have package.json. npm placed the packages in C:\Users\{MyName}\node_modules\.
Now I'm seeing some weird behavior:
When I'm in my project directory (has package.json but no node_modules/ yet), npm list and npm list -g both show an empty list
When I'm in a non-project directory (no package.json)...
npm list -g still shows an empty list
However, npm list shows everything in C:\Users\{MyName}\node_modules\
Question 1. What is going on here? Apparently, npm's default global path should be C:\Users\{MyName}\AppData\Roaming\npm\. If so, why is it using C:\Users\{MyName}\node_modules\?
Question 2. How do I get out of this mess? Node.js has no problem importing packages from C:\Users\{MyName}\node_modules\, but I want npm to list them properly. How can I delete the semi-global packages, reinstall them correctly, and ensure that this doesn't happen again?
Welp, turns out I've been mistakenly npm install-ing packages without package.json. The first time I did this, I was in my home directory(C:\Users\{MyName}\). This caused npm to create node_modules/ and package-lock.json in the home directory. Further (mistaken) attempts to install packages in my projects--which were still missing package.json--caused npm to traverse upwards, until it found the initial node_modules/ dir, and install everything there. Because my home directory is among the places Node.js looks for modules, I didn't notice my mistake until now. :P
Not sure why it’s doing it, but the way to avoid it is to initialize your project directory using:
npm init
or if you don’t want to answer the questions:
npm init -y
That will setup the directory with the package.json and node_modules will be put there.
Ok, a couple of tips then...
when you install a package that you are going to use in production then add --save, e.g.
npm install --save some-package
this will automatically add the dependency to your package.json. If you are installing a package for use purely in development, e.g. chai, then use--save-devand it will add it to the development dependencies.
Also, git is your friend, even if you are only messing :)
Happy noding :)
For me the solution here was:
Go to c:\users[me]\AppData\Roaming\npm and delete the node_modules folder completely
Make sure I had the package.json file for the project
Delete the project package-lock.json file
Run npm init
Run npm install
Project then worked, not sure why the node_modules got to be in the folder above, ain't got time to find out.
I'm having a problem with npm.
When I install packages they will go to the node_modules folder, but instead of the package assets being in one folder it puts them outside of that folder.
In the express folder, all of the folders in that are supposed to be inside, but instead, they are outside of it. This also happens with other packages I try to install. I have tried creating a test project, but the same thing happened,
And I also tried uninstalling node and npm, and it is still happening.
You sure it's not dependencies?
NPM will install additional packages if you need them, and place them in root of the node_modules folder so that other modules later can use the same if they need them.
After running (edit: npm init first to get package.json in the root of the project) npm install express --save on empty project, I end up with
PS. Apologies if I misused terms, I'm still quiet new to node and npm
I found out what happened it was because of node v5.1.1 that the package folders were saving outside of the express folder once I went back to node v4.2.3 it made a node_modules folder inside the express folder.
Thanks again for everyones help
I'm debating how I should setup certain node modules.
Lets say I have a folder called "Projects". This will hold various code projects for node that I'll create under this going forward.
Now I can install stuff like cucumber, lodash, mocha, etc...stuff that I know I'll probably use across most all my projects:
1) npm install -g
- here, any package.json can find it on my PC I think
2) npm install [whatver] in the root of my "Projects" folder so that now I have an npm_modules folder sitting at the root so any projects created's package.json will able to find those type of modules at the root of my Projects folder
- here, I'd have to npm install once at the root of my Projects folder if not already installed globally and I didn't go with option #1
3) npm install into each project under projects. But this seems like it's not efficient. If I have to make people install stuff like cucumber every time they clone down a project, that means when they run npm install, it'll have to install cucumber again and again, for each project which seems stupid to me to do something like that if it's really a global package I plan on using across many projects
-- so here for example I might have several projects I create or clone: Projects**MyProject1**, Projects**MyProject2**, and so on. Each of those projects has its own package.json of course looking for dependencies like cucumber, mocha, etc. If I do it this way I'll have to wait for npm to install those into each's own node_module folder so for example Projects\MyProject1\node_modules\cucumber, Projects\MyProject2\node_modules\cucumber and so on. Seems stupid and duplication all over to do that...?
Suggestions on which option is best and why you think that based on your experience managing projects in node?
npm install -g - here, any package.json can find it on my PC I think
This won't work because global modules cannot be picked up by require in your node scripts.
npm install [whatver] in the root of my "Projects" folder so that now I have an npm_modules folder sitting at the root so any projects created's package.json will able to find those type of modules at the root of my Projects folder
This will work for sure as long as the projects in your "Projects" folder will always be there. If you publish a project then the dependencies for that project will have to go with it.
npm install into each project under projects. But this seems like it's not efficient. If I have to make people install stuff like cucumber every time they clone down a project, that means when they run npm install, it'll have to install cucumber again and again, for each project which seems stupid to me to do something like that if it's really a global package I plan on using across many projects
Why is this stupid? As long as you do npm install cucumber --save then your dependency on cucumber will be saved to your project's package.json file. All anyone who clones your project should have to do is this:
$ git clone project.git
$ cd project && npm install
npm install without any additional arguments will install all the dependencies listed in the package.json file for the project. It only has to do this once. After that all the dependencies are downloaded and installed within the node_modules directory for your project. The only time they'd need to run npm install again from the root of the project directory would be if they deleted the node_modules folder or you made a change and added a new dependency to package.json.
Installing modules in your "Projects" directory will make them available to any scripts requireing the module from within any subdirectories. Keep in mind that if I were to clone your repository I won't have your "Projects" directory. I'll just have the directory for your project, wherever I cloned it to. I need to get those dependencies somehow and the easiest way is for me to cd into the project and run npm install where you should have a package.json file that lists all the required dependencies.
PS - npm install [module-name] --save only saves the dependency version if you already have a package.json file in the root of your project. If you don't have one yet, then initialize one first.
$ npm init