What does the '@' symbol signify in npm package names?

Other Questions NPM
1

In the Angular Component Router documentation, I encountered an npm command that seems unfamiliar and confusing:

npm install @angular/router --save

Can someone explain what @angular/router refers to? Is it the full name of the package? I couldn’t find any package by searching for it on npm’s website, and when I tried using the command line to search:

npm search @angular/router
:No match found for "@angular/router"

Does the @angular/ denote a prefix in npm, and if so, how does this concept function?

2

The '@' in npm packages signifies a scope. It's used to group packages under a namespace. For example, in @angular/router, @angular is the scope, and router is the package name.

  • **Namespace:** It prevents conflicts by allowing the same package name under different scopes.
  • **Organization:** Groups related packages for easy management.
  • **Access Control:** Scoped packages can be public or private.

The command npm install @angular/router installs the package within the @angular namespace. Ensure your npm is updated if npm search isn't working well with scoped packages.

3

The @ symbol in npm package names indicates a scope. This is particularly useful for organizing packages under a namespace, which is beneficial for organizations or large projects. In the package name @angular/router, @angular is the scope, and router is the actual package name.

  • Namespace for Packages: By using a scope, npm allows different packages with the same name to coexist, avoiding name conflicts.
  • Organizational Benefit: Scoped packages help manage related packages better, which is especially useful in extensive frameworks like Angular that group core packages under @angular.
  • Access Control: Scoped packages can be either public or private, allowing you to manage permissions effectively.

To install a scoped package, you simply use the command npm install followed by the full scoped name, such as npm install @angular/router. If you encounter issues with npm search, ensure that your npm version is updated, as earlier versions might not fully support scoped package searches. You can find more details on npm's official documentation here.