npm edit command

The command that can simplify the editing process of the project's files is npm edit. This command is useful for opening a file editor directly from the command line which allows users to make changes to the project’s files effortlessly. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the npm edit command its usage and practical examples.

Prerequisites

• NPM
• Node

These are the following topics that we are going to discuss:

What is the npm edit Command?

The npm edit command is used to open a file in the default text editor from the command line. It is particularly useful when we want to quickly edit files without having to manually navigate through the file system to open them. This command can be employed to edit package configuration files, scripts, and other relevant files within the Node.js project.

Syntax:

The basic syntax of the npm edit command is:

npm edit <package-name>

Steps to Use npm edit command

Step 1: NPM Installation

• First, ensure we have npm installed on the system. We can check this by running:

npm -v

• If npm is not installed we can download and install it from the official npm website.

Step 2: Open Your Project Directory

• Navigate to the root directory of your Node.js project using command line.

Step 3: Edit a Package Configuration File

• To open a specific package configuration file in the default editor use:

npm edit <package-name>

Example: Let’s consider you want to edit the configuration of the prettier package in your project. Here’s how you would do it:

• Open your terminal or command prompt and Navigate to your project directory:

cd path/to/your/project

• Run the npm edit command:

npm edit package.json

Output: Your default text editor will open with the prettier configuration file allowing to make the necessary changes.

Conclusion

The npm edit command is a quick and convenient way to open and edit the source code of the npm packages directly from the terminal. It’s beneficial for the reviewing code, debugging or making temporary changes. Always ensure that we handle these changes carefully especially in the production environments.