Node.js: Determine manually installed modules and version numbers for package.json

Question

I am about to prepare a webserver for "production-mode" (MEAN environment, talking about server-side), thus also creating the package.json file for my project. As it employs heaps of files and modules now, I am trying to figure out the easiest and most reliable way of defining which modules to consider for my package.json file:

1) Is there a way to tell Node.js to automatically create a package.json file containing all modules that I added manually since installation of Node.js (= crucial for my current Node.js project)?

2) If not, how can I list only those manually installed modules (in contrast to listing all modules using something like npm -g ls --json)?

robertklep · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-21 13:50:18Z

2

I don't know exactly what you mean by "manually", but to get a list of "root-level" modules that are installed in your project directory you can use this:

$ npm ls --depth 0 --json

Or, in case you installed your modules globally (don't do that...):

$ npm ls -g --depth 0 --json

Tip: when starting a new project, have npm create a new package.json right away:

$ npm init

When you install required modules, you can have them added to it automatically:

$ npm install module --save

edited Jul 21, 2015 at 13:50

answered Jul 21, 2015 at 13:23

robertklep

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5 Comments

Igor P. Over a year ago

I talk about all modules that were installed by me after node.js was installed (=modules that do not come natively with node.js).

robertklep Over a year ago

@IgorP. do I sense that you actually install modules globally (using npm install -g ...)?

Igor P. Over a year ago

Usually I install modules like this: sudo npm install MODULENAME Sorry for asking but what is the difference to: sudo npm install -g MODULENAME? What does globally mean in this context?

robertklep Over a year ago

@IgorP. installing a module globally means it will be installed systemwide instead of just local to your project. There's potential for problems when various projects depend on a particular module that is installed globally, particularly if projects depend on different versions of the same module. It's better to keep modules required by a project "close" to the project (in the local ./node_modules directory, where they are installed when you don't use the -g flag).

Igor P. Over a year ago

Ok, makes sense. Thanks for that clarification =)

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:24:19Z

Generally, at the time of installing each node module, you would save it to the package.json with npm install modulename --save or npm install modulename --save-dev.

If you need to add all of the installed modules to the package.json retroactively, you could write a short script, such as the one suggested here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/13381344/5070356

That will grab the name/version from each dependency and add it to your package.json.

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