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npm-link

Symlink a package folder

SYNOPSIS

npm link (in package dir)
-npm link [<@scope>/]<pkg>[@<version>]
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-alias: npm ln

DESCRIPTION

Package linking is a two-step process.

First, npm link in a package folder will create a symlink in the global folder -{prefix}/lib/node_modules/<package> that links to the package where the npm -link command was executed. (see npm-config(7) for the value of prefix). It -will also link any bins in the package to {prefix}/bin/{name}.

Next, in some other location, npm link package-name will create a -symbolic link from globally-installed package-name to node_modules/ -of the current folder.

Note that package-name is taken from package.json, -not from directory name.

The package name can be optionally prefixed with a scope. See npm-scope(7). -The scope must be preceded by an @-symbol and followed by a slash.

When creating tarballs for npm publish, the linked packages are -"snapshotted" to their current state by resolving the symbolic links.

This is handy for installing your own stuff, so that you can work on it and -test it iteratively without having to continually rebuild.

For example:

cd ~/projects/node-redis    # go into the package directory
-npm link                    # creates global link
-cd ~/projects/node-bloggy   # go into some other package directory.
-npm link redis              # link-install the package

Now, any changes to ~/projects/node-redis will be reflected in -~/projects/node-bloggy/node_modules/node-redis/. Note that the link should -be to the package name, not the directory name for that package.

You may also shortcut the two steps in one. For example, to do the -above use-case in a shorter way:

cd ~/projects/node-bloggy  # go into the dir of your main project
-npm link ../node-redis     # link the dir of your dependency

The second line is the equivalent of doing:

(cd ../node-redis; npm link)
-npm link redis

That is, it first creates a global link, and then links the global -installation target into your project's node_modules folder.

Note that in this case, you are referring to the directory name, node-redis, -rather than the package name redis.

If your linked package is scoped (see npm-scope(7)) your link command must -include that scope, e.g.

npm link @myorg/privatepackage

npm-link

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

SEE ALSO