MEAN Web Development - Second Edition

Introducing npm

Node.js is a platform, which means its features and APIs are kept to a minimum. To achieve more complex functionality, it uses a module system that allows you to extend the platform. The best way to install, update, and remove Node.js modules is using npm. npm is mainly used as:

• A registry of packages for browsing, downloading, and installing third-party modules
• A CLI tool to manage local and global packages

Conveniently, npm is installed during the Node.js installation process, so let's quickly jump in and learn how to use it.

Using npm

To understand how npm works, we will install the Express web framework module, which you'll use in the upcoming chapters. npm is a robust package manager, which keeps a centralized registry for public ...