I just started learning about jspm and I’m confused about something. When I install a package using jspm install somepackage versus npm install somepackage, what exactly is different?
I understand that jspm checks its own registry first, but I’m not sure what this means for my project setup. Does the config.js file get modified differently depending on which command I use?
Also, if I install a package through npm instead of jspm, do I need to manually configure anything extra to make it work? I want to make sure I understand the workflow properly before I mess up my project configuration.
It’s all about registry priority and how packages get resolved. JSPM has its own registry with pre-configured packages that are already optimized for browsers. npm just pulls from the standard npm registry. When you run jspm install, it checks the jspm registry first and often finds a version that’s already set up with proper ES6 module exports and browser compatibility shims. With npm install, you’re skipping this optimization completely. I hit this with a CSS framework - the jspm version came with proper CSS loading config, but the npm version made me manually set up stylesheet handling. The workflow difference is huge because jspm handles SystemJS mapping automatically. With npm installs, you usually have to manually tweak your config file to make the module loader work right.
the main thing to know is the bundling behavior. jspm install sets up the config for browser use and integrates with SystemJS, while npm install just drops stuff in node_modules. if u mix them, expect some import problems!
When you use jspm install, it not only installs the package but also sets up ES6 module loading and updates your config.js automatically, ensuring that the package is ready for use with SystemJS in the browser. In contrast, npm install merely installs the package into the node_modules directory without any configuration updates. This means that you’ll have to manually add the mapping in config.js for SystemJS to recognize the package, which can be a hassle. I found this out when I struggled to get an npm-installed package to load, only to realize I needed to manually configure it. For seamless integration in a jspm project, it’s best to stick with jspm install unless you have specific dependencies that are only available via npm.