How to Publish a Node.js Library to npm

This document outlines the steps taken to publish the piml.js library to the npm registry.

1. Initial Setup and Conversion

• Creating a piml.js file to house the JavaScript library.
• Creating a piml.test.js file to test the JavaScript library.

2. Setting up the Node.js Project

To prepare the project for npm, the following steps were taken:

• package.json: A package.json file was created to manage the project's metadata and dependencies. It was populated with the following information:

  • name: The name of the package on npm (e.g., "piml").
  • version: The initial version of the package (e.g., "1.0.0").
  • description: A brief description of the package.
  • main: The entry point of the package (e.g., "piml.js").
  • scripts: A "test" script to run the tests using Jest.
  • keywords: Keywords to help users find the package on npm.
  • author: The author of the package.
  • license: The license of the package (e.g., "MIT").
  • devDependencies: The development dependencies, such as jest.

• .gitignore: A .gitignore file was created to prevent unnecessary files from being committed to the repository, such as node_modules, logs, and system files.

• Dependencies Installation: The development dependencies were installed by running npm install.

3. Testing

With the project set up, the tests were run to ensure the library was working correctly:

Any failing tests were debugged and fixed until all tests passed.

4. Publishing to npm

Once the library was tested and ready, the following steps were taken to publish it to npm:

1. Create an npm Account: An npm account is required to publish packages. You can create one at https://www.npmjs.com/signup .

2. Log in to npm: From the command line, you need to log in to your npm account:

   EXPAND COPY

   DATA_NODE: bash

   npm login

   You will be prompted to enter your npm username, password, and email address.

3. Check Package Name Availability: Before publishing, it's a good practice to check if the desired package name is available. This can be done by running:

   EXPAND COPY

   DATA_NODE: bash

   npm view <package-name>

   If the package exists, you will see information about it. If it doesn't, you will get a 404 error, which means the name is available.

4. Publish the Package: To publish the package, run the following command from the project's root directory:

   EXPAND COPY

   DATA_NODE: bash

   npm publish

   If the package name is scoped (e.g., @username/package-name), you need to use the --access public flag:

   EXPAND COPY

   DATA_NODE: bash

   npm publish --access public

5. Verify the Package: After publishing, you can verify that the package is available on npm by visiting https://www.npmjs.com/package/<your-package-name>.

By following these steps, the piml.js library was successfully published to the npm registry.