What is the best way to run npm install for nested folders

Question

What is the most correct way to install npm packages in nested sub folders?

my-app
  /my-sub-module
  package.json
package.json

What is the best way to have packages in /my-sub-module be installed automatically when npm install run in my-app?

Answer 1

Hello @kartik,

If you want to run a single command to install npm packages in nested subfolders, you can run a script via npm and main package.json in your root directory. The script will visit every subdirectory and run npm install.

Below is a .js script that will achieve the desired result:

var fs = require('fs')
var resolve = require('path').resolve
var join = require('path').join
var cp = require('child_process')
var os = require('os')

// get library path
var lib = resolve(__dirname, '../lib/')

fs.readdirSync(lib)
  .forEach(function (mod) {
    var modPath = join(lib, mod)
// ensure path has package.json
if (!fs.existsSync(join(modPath, 'package.json'))) return

// npm binary based on OS
var npmCmd = os.platform().startsWith('win') ? 'npm.cmd' : 'npm'

// install folder
cp.spawn(npmCmd, ['i'], { env: process.env, cwd: modPath, stdio: 'inherit' })
})

Note that this is an example taken from a StrongLoop article that specifically addresses a modular node.js project structure (including nested components and package.json files).

Hope it helps!!

Thank You!!