Installing Dev Dependencies with NPM
When we are building the NodeJS application at that time, we need some of the tools that are not required for production. Such tools are known as the Dev Dependencies. It keeps the production environment free from unnecessary tools, due to which the development becomes smoother and more efficient.
What is Dev Dependencies?
Dev dependencies are packages needed only during development, such as testing frameworks(jest, mocha, karma, cypress), code linters(prettier, eslint), and build tools(Babel, Webpack). These dependencies are not required for production.
- They are listed under the "devDependencies" section in package.json.
- They help in streamlining the development process without affecting the production environment.
Installing Dev Dependencies with NPM
Step 1: Installing a Dev Dependency
To add a package as a development dependency, use the following command:
npm install <package-name> --save-devAlternatively, you can use the shorthand -D flag:
npm install <package-name> -DFor example, to install the Jest testing framework:
npm install jest --save-dev
Step 2: Viewing Installed Dev Dependencies
To view a list of all installed dev dependence,ies we can gothe to package.json, file but we can do it without going there just by typing this command in the terminal as follows:
npm list --dev
Step 3: Removing a Dev Dependency
We can also remove a dev dependency, by uthe this following command:
npm uninstall <package-name> --save-dev
Features
- Efficient Package Management: By using the npm for managing the dev depend,encies we can streamline our development process.
- Version Control: This specifies versions for dev dependencies, ensuring consistency across different environments.
- Separation of Concerns: Dev dependencies keep the production environments clean by executing unnecessary packages.
Dependencies vs Dev Dependencies
Feature | Dependencies (dependencies) | Dev Dependencies (devDependencies) |
|---|---|---|
Usage | Required in production | Only needed during development |
Installation | npm install <package> | npm install <package> -D |
Deployment | Installed in production | Ignored in production using --only=production |
Examples | ,, React, Lodash | Jest, ESLint, Webpack |
Best Practices for Managing Dev Dependencies
Managing the Dev dependencies makes a developer a pro by maintaining the Project's workflowscalingcales the project easily there are some best practices we can achieve this are as follows:
- Lock Package Versions: We can use the package-lock.json file to lock the versions and the releases of our dev dependencies.
- Regular Updates: We always make sure that our dev dependable encies updated so sarethere is no compatibility that issues arise later.
- Environment Segregation: We must always use dev dependencies only, ensuring our productions are always lightweight.
