How to Update npm Version? [Update npm Package to Latest Version]

List of content you will read in this article:

1. What is NPM? [Definition]
2. Uses of NPM? (Node Package Manager)
3. Components of NPM
4. How to Install Node?
5. How to Update NPM Version? (Upgrade NPM package)
6. Conclusion

After introducing JavaScript, developers got the advantage of efficiently creating websites and web-based applications. It offers numerous resources and libraries to make the development job much more comfortable. In the beginning, maintaining this wide range of libraries was easier and more efficient, but with time we needed a mature solution to handle them. This article will briefly explain how to update NPM package or how to update NPM version to the latest version.

It is when NPM (Node Package Manager) was introduced as a JavaScript package manager commonly used in conjunction with Node.js. It allows you to control your project’s dependencies and offers an excellent way to contribute to the open-source world.

What is NPM? [Definition]

It stands for Node Package Manager and is written in JavaScript, considered the default package manager for Node.js. It was developed and maintained by Isaac Z. Schlueter on January 12, 2010. It helps manage all the Node.js packages and modules with a command-line client called npm. Whenever you install Node.js, npm also gets installed with it. You can install the required packages and modules of Node.js using NPM.

A package comes with all the files that are needed for a module. These modules are the JavaScript libraries you can include in the Node.js project as per the project requirement. You can install NPM dependencies for a project using the package.json file. It allows you to update and uninstall NPM packages if not required. Considering the package.json file, each dependency has specified some range of valid NPM versions for which it will work through a semantic versioning scheme. It helps the developers auto-update the packages and avoid unwanted breaking changes.

It helps manage the packages that are a local dependency of a specific project and for globally installed JavaScript tools. Npm not only manages the direct downloads but also manages the versioning. You can install any previous or later version, depending on your project requirement. If you do not mention any version to install, it will install the latest version of NPM package by default.

Below are some essential facts about NPM you should know.

More than 1.3 million OS packages are currently available in the NPM main registry. The registry does not impose any vetting process while submitting, which means these packages can be of low quality, less secure, and harmful to the system. If you want to take down the malicious packages, it is done via user reports.
Npm is open-source.
Npm is the recommended functionality in the Node.js installer and consists of the command-line client for interacting with the remote registry.

Uses of NPM? (Node Package Manager)

Below is the common usage of npm:

It helps you adapt the code packages for your applications or incorporate the existing packages as they are.
It enables you to download and install the standalone tools to be used right away without any effort.
It allows you to run packages without downloading with the help of NPX.
You can share your code with another npm user anywhere, irrespective of the underlying system specifications.
It allows restricting the code to a particular developer, ensuring the code's integrity.
It allows you to create organizations that help coordinate the maintenance of packages, coding, and developers.
You can also create virtual teams with the help of an organization.
It allows you to handle multiple npm code versions and their dependencies.
It allows you to update the application effortlessly and seamlessly whenever the underlying code is changed.
You will be able to solve the same problem with several different solutions.
It lets you connect with developers working on the same problems and projects.

Components of NPM

There are three main components of npm:

Website: You can visit the npm official website and find packages and documentation on npm. It allows you to share and publish packages at the site.
Registry: NPM has a registry that is an extensive database of millions of packages. Any developer can download the packages from this registry and can publish their customized packages to the registry.
CLI: With the help of CLI, you can interact with the npm. It allows you to install, update, uninstall the packages and manage the dependencies.

How to Install Node?

Below are some important node commands that will help you install npm packages. Before you update NPM version, we will go through the process of installing the npm.

However, npm is part of Node.js, and you do not have to install it explicitly. If you want to install Node.js, you can navigate to the official site for the download. Once you install the Node, you can check the installed version of a node using the below commands.

node -v

npm -v

How to Update NPM Version? (Upgrade NPM package)

If you want to update NPM, you are updating the package manager, Node.js, and modules to the latest version.

npm update [-g] [<pkg>...]

Where g stands for global and pkg stands for the package.

Here are the various Linux commands to update NPM:

1. Using Update Command

You can use the npm update command to update the node package manager.

npm update -g

2. Using npm@latest Command

You can use the npm@latest command for updating the node package manager. This command will also work for the Linux system.

npm install npm@latest -g

3. Using npm@next Command

You can use the npm@next command to update the node package manager. This command will also work for the Linux system.

npm install -g npm@next

How to update NPM package on Linux?

1. Using the PPA repository

You can run any of the below commands for updating the node package manager on the Linux VPS Hosting.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:chris-lea/node.jssudo apt-get updatesudo apt-get install nodejs npm

2. Using Cache Cleaning and Installing Stable NPM Version

Run all the following commands step-by-step to install the stable release.

sudo npm cache clean -fsudo npm install -g nsudo n stable

How to Update npm Version?

How to update NPM version on Windows?

For updating npm, open PowerShell with the admin account and run the following commands.

Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser -Forcenpm install -g npm-windows-upgradenpm-windows-upgrade

After running the commands, you will be asked to select an NPM version to install. You can use the arrow key to move upward and downward to select the version and hit enter.

How to Update npm package?

If your upgrade process went successful, you will get the below output-

update npm

Conclusion

As node js is very popular among developers to develop various applications, It is highly recommended to have an updated or latest version of tech tools to make things productive; it comes with npm (Node Package Manager) that helps manage the packages, modules, and dependencies of Node.js. You must use your products' latest stable NPM version to experience the latest functionalities. Also, you know after reading this blog how to update NPM package and how to update NPM version on any system, Windows and Linux. You do not have to worry about installing npm explicitly, as it comes with the Node.js installation.

In the above article, we have mentioned some commands that will help you to update the existing npm to the latest stable NPM version.

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