What is Node Package Manager?
NPM (Node Package Manager) serves as a central hub for javascript packages and libraries that are used primarily with Node.js development. NPM helps with package installations, version management, and dependency resolutions for Javascript Projects.
Advantages
Vast Library
NPM offers a vast collection of open-source packages, making it easy to build a website with pre-built functionalities for various purposes just by a package download such as "npm install [library-here]"
Dependency Management
It Simplifies managing project dependencies by automatically installing the required packages and handles the version conflicts for you to make sure you're always up to date
Version Control
Allows specifying package versions and supports semantic versioning for controlled updates and stability
Scripts
NPM enables running custom scripts for streamlining development workflows such as "npm run server" while the project's scripts have the script: "npm run server" : "json-server --watch db.json port5000"
Disadvantages
Security Risks
Some dependencies are security risks, requiring regular updates to avoid potential vulnerabilities introduced by third-party packages
Complexity
Managing nested dependencies and handling version conflicts in larger projects can become complex and time-consuming
Performance
Installation of large dependency trees might impact project build time, and performance, and can take up storage on your local machine
Lack of Governance
As an open-source package manager, some packages may be unreliable or not work as expected
Overall, NPM streamlines javascript development by providing access to this large open-source ecosystem that anyone can use to aid in their project development and enable code reusability. However, it's always good to be cautious of security risks and maintain performance in larger projects.