Hey everyone, I’m just starting out with Node.js and NPM. I’ve been using the npm install -g command to install stuff, but I’m not sure what the -g part actually does. I tried looking it up online, but I’m still confused about its meaning and purpose. Can someone explain what this flag does and when I should use it? I’d really appreciate some help understanding this better. Thanks!
I’ve been using Node.js for a few years now, and I can tell you the -g flag has its uses, but it’s not always necessary. Basically, it’s for installing packages you want to use across multiple projects or as command-line tools. For example, I globally installed nodemon for development server reloading and prettier for code formatting.
Just be careful not to overuse global installs. Most of the time, you’ll want to install packages locally to keep your projects self-contained and avoid version conflicts. I learned this the hard way when I had different projects requiring different versions of the same package.
Also, keep in mind that global packages won’t be included in your project’s package.json, which can cause issues when sharing your code or deploying. So, unless you’re sure you need a package globally, stick to local installs for project dependencies.
The -g flag instructs NPM to perform a global installation. In essence, rather than adding the package to a specific project directory, it installs the package system-wide, making it accessible from any project or command terminal on your machine. This is particularly useful for tools and utilities that need to be available regardless of the local project configuration. However, for most project-specific libraries, installing locally avoids potential conflicts and maintains better project isolation.
hey emma, the -g flag installs packages globally, placing them in a shared location on your computer. careful though - global installs can cause issues if misused, so for most projects, local installs are better.