I’m working on an npm project and I keep running into this situation. I’ve got a package in my devDependencies that I now want to move to the regular dependencies section in my package.json file.
It works, but it feels like there should be a faster way. Does anyone know if there’s a single command or a trick to do this more efficiently? I’d love to save some time, especially when I’m dealing with multiple packages.
hey there! i’ve been in that situation too. one quick way is to just edit the package.json file directly. move the package name from devDependencies to dependencies, then run npm install. it’ll update everything without needing to uninstall/reinstall. hope that helps!
I’ve encountered this scenario numerous times. While editing package.json directly works, there’s actually a more efficient npm command for this exact purpose. You can use ‘npm move’ to shift dependencies between categories without uninstalling and reinstalling.
This command updates your package.json and node_modules in one go, saving time and reducing the chance of errors. It’s particularly useful when refactoring or when a package initially thought to be for development ends up being needed in production. Always ensure you’re using a recent version of npm, as this feature might not be available in older versions.
In my years working with npm, I’ve found that editing the package.json file directly is the most reliable method. I open the file in my editor, remove the package from the devDependencies section, and paste it into the dependencies section. After saving, I run npm install to update the lock file. This approach gives full control and works consistently across all npm versions. It’s particularly useful when moving several packages at once. Just be sure to check your changes carefully to avoid syntax errors.