Node.js, NPM and Vue.js Commands Guide

In this article, you can learn the most important commands for Node.js, NPM and Vue.js and easily understand what they do.

Node.js Commands

Here are the basic commands you will use when working with Node.js:

Command	Explanation
node -v	Shows the Node.js version.
node [file.js]	Runs the specified JS file.
node	Opens REPL (interactive environment) in terminal.

NPM (Node Package Manager) is used for package management in Node.js projects. Here are the basic commands:

Command	Explanation
npm -v	Shows the NPM version.
npm init	Starts a new project and creates package.json.
npm init -y	Creates package.json with default settings.
npm install [package]	Installs the specified package.
npm install -D [package]	Installs as a development dependency.
npm uninstall [package]	Removes the package from the project.
npm update	Updates all dependencies.
npm list --depth=0	Lists the installed major dependencies.
npm outdated	Shows packages that need to be updated.
npm start	Runs the "start" script.
npm run [command]	Runs defined custom scripts.
npm restart	It runs the restart script in package.json. If this script is not defined, it runs the stop and start scripts, respectively. It can also run lifecycle hooks such as prerestart and postrestart.
npm ci	Performs a clean install (based on package-lock.json).
npm rebuild	Recompiles native modules.
npm cache clean --force	Clears the NPM cache.
npm config list	Lists NPM configurations.
npm doctor	It scans the NPM and Node.js environment to check for potential configuration and system issues.
npm help	Shows help about commands.
npm install -g [package]	Installs the package globally.
npx [komut]	Temporarily runs packages within the project or downloaded from the internet.

Here are some advanced NPM commands you can use for more advanced package management:

Command	Explanation
npm access	Manages package access permissions.
npm login	Logins or creates a user.
npm audit	Scans for security vulnerabilities.
npm audit fix	Automatically fixes security vulnerabilities.
npm bin	Shows the directory of executable files.
npm bugs <paket>	Shows the error reports for the package.
npm completion	Provides auto-completion support for npm commands in the terminal.
npm dedupe	Cleans duplicate dependencies.
npm deprecate	Removes packages.
npm diff	Shows the difference between two packages.
npm dist-tag	Manages package tags.
npm docs <package>	Opens the package documentation.
npm edit	Opens the package for editing.
npm explore <package>	It goes into the package directory.
npm fund	Shows support information for dependencies.
npm hook	Manages webhook operations.
npm link	Creates a symbolic link for local development.
npm pack	Creates a package archive (.tgz) file.
npm ping	Tests registry connectivity.
npm prefix	Shows the project root directory.
npm profile	Manages the user profile.
npm prune	Removes unnecessary packages.
npm publish	Publishes the package.
npm root	Shows the node_modules directory.
npm search <key>	Searchs for packages.
npm view <package>	Shows package information.
npm whoami	Shows the logged-in user.

You can use the following commands to quickly start and develop projects with Vue.js and Vite:

Command	Explanation
npm create vue@latest	Creates a new Vue 3 project (Vite-based).
npx create-vue@latest	Alternative Vue project creation command.
npm install -g @vue/cli	Install Vue CLI globally.
vue create [project-name]	Starts a new project with Vue CLI.
vue ui	Opens a graphical interface for Vue CLI.
npm run dev	Starts a Vue project in development mode.
npm run build	Creates the production build.
npm run preview	Previews the production build.
npm run lint	Checks the code.
npm install vue-router	Adds a routing system.
npm install pinia	Adds a state management library.
npm install axios	Adds Axios for API requests.
npm install bootstrap	Adds the Bootstrap CSS framework.
npm install @vitejs/plugin-vue	Installs the Vue plugin for Vite.
npm run serve	Starts the application in older Vue CLI projects.
npx vite	Runs the Vite project.