I Thought I Knew npm… Until I Met npx: Intro to npx

#npm #node #npx

Hey everyone, today I will be showing you some basics about npx.
If you have been developing for a while, you should have heard or used this before atleast once.

I recently had to create an npm package of my own. Along with that it also supports npx.

So first, lets know what is the difference between npx and npm.

npx vs npm: How are they different

npx and npm: They sound similar, and they DO come from the Node.js environment.

However, npm and npx solve two different problems.

npm (Node package manager)

Used for installing, managing and updating packages
These packages gets added to your project or installed globally.
You can run scripts or binaries that are already installed.

npm install 
npm install -g typescript

npx (Node Package eXecute)

npx is used to run a package without installing it permanently
Running one-off commands quickly without polluting your global installs

npx create-vite@latest my-app

How npx works

Suppose you enter a command to use a tool called package-name

npx package-name do-something

If package name is not installed, then npx will prompt you to install it. After installing it you will be instantly redirected to the actual do-something task.

So it's quite handy if you want to minimize friction when introducing your creation to new users. If the installation process is very simple, then more people can easily onboard and adapt it.