Training Guide: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 Ebook

Lesson 1: Getting started with Node.js CHAPTER 8 351

You see npm sending HTTP GET and PUT methods until the publishing is complete. If you

have no errors, the package should be published and immediately available for everyone

to use.

Installing and using the package

Now that your package is published, you can install it and use it. You can install the package

globally, or you can install it locally to the application you’re creating. Installing the pack-

age globally gives all applications the same version of the package so that when you update

the global package with a new version, all applications get the new version. If you install the

package locally to the application, you reinstall the package for each application. You can

update the package for one application, and you don’t need to worry about updating the

package for all applications. The global option is typically more appealing to most people,

but often you don’t want to be forced into regression testing for all applications when you

update the package. This choice is about having control to update when needed versus the

convenience of updating all at once.

In this example, a new application, math_user, is created, so this folder is created under the

node_samples folder.

To install the package locally, use the command prompt window to navigate to the folder

that contains your application and enter the following command.

npm install math_example

This creates a node_modules subdirectory; in the folder that contains your application is a

folder for the installed package with all its files.

To install the package globally, type the following command.

npm install -g math_example

Figure 8-4 shows the screen after executing this command. The last line shows the folder

location in which the package was installed.

FIGURE 8-4 he successful global package installT