Understanding package.json
The package.json is a crucial file in a Node.js project, it is a configuration file that contains a list of all the external dependencies that our project contains. Whenever our node project is shared it is shared without the node_modules and to install the required modules to run our project the package.json file plays an important role as now all the modules are downloaded with reference to this file.
Here’s how a sample package.json file looks like:
{
"name": "my-react-app",
"version": "0.1.0",
"private": true,
"dependencies": {
"@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",
"@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",
"@testing-library/user-event": "^13.5.0",
"react": "^18.2.0",
"react-dom": "^18.2.0",
"web-vitals": "^2.1.4"
},
"scripts": {
"start": "react-scripts start",
"build": "react-scripts build",
"test": "react-scripts test",
"eject": "react-scripts eject"
},
"eslintConfig": {
"extends": [
"react-app",
"react-app/jest"
]
},
"browserslist": {
"production": [
">0.2%",
"not dead",
"not op_mini all"
],
"development": [
"last 1 chrome version",
"last 1 firefox version",
"last 1 safari version"
]
},
"devDependencies": {
"autoprefixer": "^10.4.17",
"postcss": "^8.4.35",
"tailwindcss": "^3.4.1"
}
What is the purpose of the ‘node_modules’ folder ?
The node_modules
folder is a directory in NodeJS projects that stores third-party libraries and dependencies. It’s essential for managing dependencies, which are packages or modules that a NodeJS project relies on.
When you install a package using npm or Yarn, these tools download the package along with its dependencies and save them in the node_modules
folder. This folder ensures that all required dependencies are available for the project to run successfully.
Table of Content
- Introduction to node_modules Folder
- Purpose of node_modules
- Understanding NPM
- Understanding package.json
- Version Control with node_modules Folder
- Steps to Setup node_modules Folder
- Conclusion
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