how to import nodejs module as library - node.js

I create my project "data" and I want to use it as a library in an another project. For this, I did the following steps:
cd project
yarn add ../../packages/data (the path of my project) It adds a new dependency in package.json like this "#info/data": "../../packages/data"
to install this dependency I run yarn install
but it doesn't appear in node_modules and I don't know why
Any help please

For that you will have to create an npm module, there is a step by step availabe on the official documents here: creating-node-js-modules
And, apart from creating the directory where your code will be placed and the exports for each method, you will also have to publish your module: npm-publish

You can use npm to publish your library to all npm users or to yourself
To do this, enter npm login in the terminal of the code editor and
log in, before that, register on npm
If you haven't initialized the project then do it npm init
After you publish the library to the npm server, npm publish, remember the name of the library will take the name of the folder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufwbp838yZA Example
perhaps yarn also has such a function

Related

How to get npm to favor local linked dependency over its published install

I've searched through other questions such as this one, but they all seem to be about a local npm link stopping working for another reason than mine. I assume this is a common use-case issue, so if I'm doing something methodically wrong, I'm more than happy to take suggestions on how I should be doing it.
Principally, I have a private npm module that I'm working on called #organisation/module. When working locally, I'll run npm link on it, and use it within my 'host' project as npm link #organisation/module — this all works great with hot-reloading, etc. I'll also import it as import module from '#organisation/module.
However, since I also want to publish my local changes to npm (as #organisation/module) from time to time, for build testing and production code, I need to run npm install #organisation/module on the host project.
This then seems to break the implicit npm link I set up earlier... I assume mainly because they are the same name, and npm favors an install over a link?
When I want to make live, local changes again, the only way I can currently get it to work is via npm uninstall #organisation/module and then to re-link it.
Is there a way to keep the published module installed (in order to avoid careless mistakes, like forgetting to reinstall it for build testing), but always favour the local, linked instance?
Diagram for ref:
Have you tried locally installing with the other method npm provides.
npm install /absolute/path/packageName
I believe this will change your entry in package.json to look like this:
"dependencies" {
...
"packageName": "file:../../path/to/packageName",
...
}
Since npm link creates a symlink in the global folder, while npm install is local to the project npm install takes precedence. You can read about npm link here: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/link
To avoid this, my suggestion would be to use npm install <path to local> and when you need to use the production code use npm install #organization/module. This would update your node_modules per code basis. Read about npm install here: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/install
Hope this helps :)
Go to the directory where your local package is located open package.json change the name from original_name to "original_name_local".
write npm link on terminal at the same location.
After this go to your working directory and write npm install <path to local>
Now whereever you're requiring or importing update the name to "original_name_local"
for example if it's require('space-cleaner') then change it to require('space-cleaner_local')
Like this you can have both local as well as production package just change the name wherever required.
Otherwise you can remove package by removing it from package.json and deleting from node_modules.
if local is needed go to local package directory and on terminal write npm link and then on your working directory write npm install ./path/to/package
if production then again delete the package as told above and write npm install package_name

npm link, without linking devDependencies

It appears that when I run npm link, it will install the project globally, and it seems to install devDependencies with it.
Is there a way to run npm link without devDependencies, perhaps with the --only=production flag?
In npm#4.x or lower
When you run npm link in other_module then you will get both dependencies and devDependencies symlinked.
The --production flag doesn't change anything, still creates a symlink to the whole directory
In npm#5.1.0
They fixed it!
If you remove node_modules and then do npm link --only=production, it runs an install before symlinking, and therefore devDependencies folder are indeed excluded.
This is currently not possible with npm link. The problem is, if you install only prod dependencies in that dependency, you're able to link it, but you're not able to develop on that dependency anymore (since missing devDependencies). And vice-versa: If you install devDependencies, you can't link anymore.
The solution: A package called npm-local-development at https://github.com/marcj/npm-local-development
It basically does the same thing as npm link, but works around the devDependency limitation by setting up a file watcher and syncs file changes automatically in the background, excluding all devDependencies/peerDependencies.
You install npm-local-development: npm i -g npm-local-development
You create file called .links.json in your root package.
You write every package name with its local relative folder path into it like so
{
"#shared/core": "../../my-library-repo/packages/core"
}
Open a console and run npm-local-development in that root package. Let it run in the background.
Disclaimer: I'm the author of this free open-source project.
A workaround I use is npm pack then point to the packed file in the example

How to keep WebRTC adapter.js updated in a project using npm

I am confused about how to make use of npm to keep the adapter.js updated in my project.
I have followed the instructions on https://github.com/webrtc/adapter and get the webrtc-adapter installed using the node command npm install webrtc-adapter.
A directory of node_modules is created and inside there are package.json, out folder, and other files and folders. Since the adapter.js is inside the out folder, I have to copy it to my project libraries folder lib/js/adapter.js.
However, if I run the npm update in the future, it should only update the adapter.js inside the node_modules/out but not lib/js/adapter.js. Then I have to copy it again. Is there anyway I could make the update apply to the lib/js/adapter.js directly?
Thank you.
The webrtc samples repository solves this by having an postinstall npm hook. See here

How to use locally built NPM package in project

I'm new to NPM (obviously) and I have forked a NPM module to test out some custom modifications to it - let's call that project dependsOnMe. Now i want to use DependsOnMe in my CustomApp project. I can't figure out how to do this.
In my DependsOnMe project I did a npm install -g . (whatever that does, it's now unclear to me), but when I go to my CustomApp project and add a dependency for DependsOnMe into my package.json NPM tells me it cant find DependsOnMe in the NPM remote repo (no kidding...).
Since I installed DependsOnMe globally I thought perhaps I don't need to declare a dependency in MyCustomApp, but when I try to include DependsOnMe in one of my project's .js files I get the error that DependsOnMe cannot be found.
This must be simple, what am I missing?

How to edit a node module installed via npm?

I'm using the node_swiz module, which in turn uses the validator module.
I want to make changes to the validator module, but I used npm install to install the modules/dependencies.
Can I just make changes to the validator module inside of node_modules, or will that node_modules dependencies be re-created and the latest version gotten when I publish to heroku or next time I run npm install?
The structure looks like this:
myNodeApplication
- node_modules
- swiz
- node_modules
- validator [this is the library I want to edit]
Thanks for the help!
You can edit the file directly, but this would be overwritten whenever npm updates, the best thing to do is go straight to the source.
If the changes affect functionality of the overall module, and may be useful to others, you may want to contribute to the original source on github and look for the change to be implemented.
If this is proprietary functionality that is needed, and would not help the development of the module, the best thing to do is fork it from github and make your changes. You can install items directly from github using NPM, and this method would let you integrate future changes in to your custom version from the original source.
To install directly from github, use the following command:
npm install https://github.com/<username>/<repository>/tarball/<branch>
You can use patch-package to make and persist changes to node modules.
This can be done by first making changes to the package inside node_modules and then running the following command, with <package name> being the name of the package you just made changes to.
npx patch-package <package name>
patch-package will then create a patches folder with a file inside, representing your changes. This file can then be commited to git, and patches can be restored later by running npx patch-package (without any arguments).
Optional step:
Add the following in the script section of your package.json to automatically patch the dependency when you execute "npm install".
"postinstall": "npx patch-package"
I didn't want to publish a new module and I also didn't want npm install to overwrite my changes. I found a solution to both of these issues, but it would probably be better to take #Sdedelbrock's advice. But if you want to do it, here's how:
Edit your package.json file to remove the dependency you want to edit.
Go into your project's /node_modules and move the folder somewhere else in your repository that can be committed. So now /node_modules/dependency is at /dependency
cd into the dependency directory and type npm link
cd into the root of your project directory and type npm link dependency It is important that you do this outside of /node_modules and /dependency
If everything worked, you should now have a symlink that was created in /node_modules/dependency. Now you can run your project to see if it works.
Fork the Github repo and make the necessary changes then you can install the package like
npm install git+https://github.com/visionmedia/express.git

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