Changing your npm version is an integral part of maintaining a smooth, bug-free development environment. Npm, or Node Package Manager, is an open-source package manager for JavaScript. It’s a tool used by developers worldwide to share and borrow packaged modules of code. Whether you need to upgrade to the newer version or downgrade to an old one, knowing how to manipulate npm version is key. This is true especially if you are working on multiple projects with different node versions.
Now, let us come right into the procedure that needs to be followed to achieve this.
Install Node Version Manager (NVM)
On the way to changing the npm version, we first need to have NVM installed. NVM allows you to install and manage multiple versions of Node.js and npm.
//You can install NVM by using the install script using cURL: curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.35.3/install.sh | bash // Or using Wget if you prefer: wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.35.3/install.sh | bash
Installing a Specific Version of Node.js and npm
After successfully installing NVM, you can install a specific version of Node.js and npm.
//To install a version use the nvm install command followed by the version number: nvm install 10.16.0
- To use the installed version, run the nvm use command followed by the version number.
- Once done, you can check the version of node and npm installed using the node -v and npm -v commands.
Updating npm
To update npm, you can use npm install npm@latest -g to ensure that all the nodes are mapped to each other seamlessly. Implementing this will ensure constant communication between different versions, maintaining a smooth flow.
npm install npm@latest -g
After following these steps, you should have your npm updated to the required version. Practice the art of switching between versions, as it is often a requirement in our multi-project, multi-team world.
Remember to stay updated, as new versions are released frequently, boasting of improved features, increased performance and lesser bugs. Understanding these smaller technical nuances is vital to becoming a proficient developer.