Hey everyone, today I will be showing you some basics about npx.
If you have been developing for a while, you should have heard or used this before atleast once.
I recently had to create an npm package of my own. Along with that it also supports npx.
So first, lets know what is the difference between npx and npm.
npx vs npm: How are they different
npx and npm: They sound similar, and they DO come from the Node.js environment.
However, npm and npx solve two different problems.
npm (Node package manager)
npm install
npm install -g typescript
npx (Node Package eXecute)
npx create-vite@latest my-app
How npx works
Suppose you enter a command to use a tool called package-name
npx package-name do-something
If package name is not installed, then npx will prompt you to install it. After installing it you will be instantly redirected to the actual do-something task.
So it's quite handy if you want to minimize friction when introducing your creation to new users. If the installation process is very simple, then more people can easily onboard and adapt it.
Does npx throw away the package?
Wrapping up
Hope you now understood npx, and how its quite handy.
If you are a developer constantly learning new things and also figuring out ways to upskill+be more efficient, I have a resource for you
It’s free, open-source, and built with developers in mind.
👉 Explore the tools: FreeDevTools
👉 Star the repo: freedevtools
More...
If you have been developing for a while, you should have heard or used this before atleast once.
I recently had to create an npm package of my own. Along with that it also supports npx.
So first, lets know what is the difference between npx and npm.
npx vs npm: How are they different
npx and npm: They sound similar, and they DO come from the Node.js environment.
However, npm and npx solve two different problems.
npm (Node package manager)
- Used for installing, managing and updating packages
- These packages gets added to your project or installed globally.
- You can run scripts or binaries that are already installed.
npm install
npm install -g typescript
npx (Node Package eXecute)
- npx is used to run a package without installing it permanently
- Running one-off commands quickly without polluting your global installs
npx create-vite@latest my-app
How npx works
Suppose you enter a command to use a tool called package-name
npx package-name do-something
If package name is not installed, then npx will prompt you to install it. After installing it you will be instantly redirected to the actual do-something task.
So it's quite handy if you want to minimize friction when introducing your creation to new users. If the installation process is very simple, then more people can easily onboard and adapt it.
Does npx throw away the package?
- The installation is temporary
- It does not permanently install anything to your global or local environment.
- It uses lightweight cache for repeated runs to be faster.
Wrapping up
Hope you now understood npx, and how its quite handy.
If you are a developer constantly learning new things and also figuring out ways to upskill+be more efficient, I have a resource for you
It’s free, open-source, and built with developers in mind.
👉 Explore the tools: FreeDevTools
👉 Star the repo: freedevtools
More...