Primary reasons for upgrading npm packages are: That way you will not have a risk of something breaking. It is better to stick with the package version that works.

Step 2: Audit installed npm packagesīefore you update npm packages, figure out if you have a good reason to. Package.json package.json is a file that keeps track of all the packages your app needs to run properly, as well as settings for how it should behave when running on different platforms and environments. Tilde (~) in front (e.g., ~0.12.31) means the latest patch release is safe to install. ^0.12.31), meaning the latest minor release may be safely installed. In package.json, a version can have a ^ in front (e.g. What do the caret (^) and tilde (~) mean? The third number is called the patch version and it indicates how much bug fixes or enhancements have been introduced since the last minor release for instance, if this change was only small fixes or enhancements to existing features and no behavior changes were added. Minor releases are not as risky as major version because they typically introduce new features, but they are not as risky as major updates because no API changes were made. The second number, called the minor version, indicates how much new functionality has been introduced since the last significant release for instance, if this change was only small fixes or enhancements to existing features and no behavior changes were made then it would result in a higher value. Major version number indicates incompatible API changes. The first number, called the major version, indicates how significant a release this is in relation to other releases with the same minor and patch levels. Semantic versioning means that developers should compose a package version of three numbers separated by periods (e.g., '0.12.31'). Most npm packages follow semantic versioning guidelines. Versioning is an important part of npm and how to use updates safely when developing web applications.

Test your code after updating npm packagesĬheat Sheet: 6 must-know commands to update npm packages Step 1: Understand npm package versioning.

In this blog post, I will show you how to update npm packages without breaking your project by following 4 simple steps: This is a common problem for web developers, luckily there are some easy steps to take before updating a module. Have you ever tried to update a npm package and then realized that it breaks all other packages in your Javascript project?

Npm install a specific version