Node.js NPM Scripts
What are NPM Scripts?
NPM scripts are commands you define in your package.json file to automate tasks like:
- Running your app
- Testing
- Building
- Cleaning up files
They make it easy to manage common tasks with simple commands.
Defining Scripts in package.json
Inside package.json, the scripts section lets you name and define commands:
{
"scripts": {
"start": "node index.js",
"test": "echo \"Running tests...\" && exit 0",
"dev": "nodemon index.js"
}
}
Each script can be run from the command line using npm run <script-name>.
Running NPM Scripts
To run a script, use:
npm run dev
For the special start script, you can just use:
npm start
And for test:
npm test
Common Uses for NPM Scripts
- Start your app
- Run tests
- Use tools like nodemon or webpack
- Build or bundle your code
- Lint or format your code
Summary
NPM scripts help automate and simplify project tasks.
Define them in package.json and run them easily with npm.
Exercise?What is this?
Test your skills by answering a few questions about the topics of this page
Drag and drop the correct command to run an NPM script.
npm exec
run
execute
launch
