My Node.js setup runs from D:\Dev\ with npm installed. Do I need to switch to D:\App to execute npm install lodash? Also, why do guides prefix commands with ‘$’?
hey, you dont have to change dir if your project file is in place. sticking to the project folder just avoids mis-installs. the ‘$’ is only a prompt sign, nothing you type.
Based on my experience when working on various projects, determining the directory for running npm commands is quite important. You don’t necessarily need to change directories if your project is set up with the correct package.json that declares dependencies and the install command is executed within the project directory. If you try and install a package while in a different location, it might get installed globally or into an unintended location. The ‘$’ is simply a convention used in guides and tutorials to indicate the command prompt in a Unix-based terminal.
It is best practice to run npm commands from within the project directory where the package.json file is located. That way, npm understands that it should install the packages as local dependencies rather than globally. While you might be able to install packages from any location, doing so could cause unexpected behavior in your project structure. The use of ‘$’ in tutorials is strictly a notation to indicate that what follows is typed at the shell prompt, not meant to be entered as part of the command itself.
Working on several projects, I’ve learned that it’s best to run npm commands from the project directory where your package.json resides. This approach ensures that dependencies are properly linked with your application setup, reducing device-specific issues especially on machines with multiple development environments. It doesn’t mean that the command won’t work elsewhere, but you risk installing packages in an unexpected directory which may cause conflicts. Regarding the ‘$’ sign, as outlined in many guides, it’s simply a prompt indicator. It’s not part of the command you execute, so when copying commands, you should ignore it.