How to automatically install npm packages in subdirectories?

Other Questions NPM
1

Hey everyone! I’m working on a project with a nested folder structure and I’m wondering about the best way to handle npm package installation. Here’s what my setup looks like:

project-root
  /feature-module
    package.json
  package.json

I want to make sure that when I run npm install in the project-root, it also installs the packages for the feature-module automatically. Is there a simple way to do this? I’ve tried a few things but nothing seems to work smoothly. Any tips or best practices for managing dependencies in this kind of setup would be super helpful. Thanks in advance!

2

I’ve been in a similar situation before, and I found that using Lerna can be a game-changer for managing multiple packages in a single repository. It’s especially useful for projects with nested structures like yours.

First, install Lerna globally: npm install -g lerna

Then, initialize Lerna in your project root:

lerna init

This creates a lerna.json file. Modify it to include your feature-module:

{
  "packages": ["feature-module"],
  "version": "independent"
}

Now, when you run lerna bootstrap in the project root, it’ll handle installing dependencies for all your packages, including subdirectories.

It’s a bit more setup initially, but it’s incredibly powerful for managing complex projects with multiple packages. Plus, it offers other useful features like version management and publishing, which might come in handy as your project grows.

3

hey there! i’ve dealt with this before. you can use npm’s workspaces feature for this. just add a workspaces field in your root package.json like this:

"workspaces": ["feature-module"]

then run npm install in the root. it’ll handle all subdirectories automagically. works like a charm!

4

I’ve found a useful approach for this scenario. You can leverage npm scripts in your root package.json to automate the installation process. Add a postinstall script like this:

"scripts": {
  "postinstall": "cd feature-module && npm install"
}

This way, whenever you run npm install in the project root, it will automatically execute the install command in the feature-module directory as well. It’s a straightforward solution that doesn’t require altering your project structure or using more complex setups like workspaces. Just make sure your feature-module’s package.json is properly configured with its own dependencies.