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The “p” in npm does not stand for “Package.” Despite the common expansion “Node Package Manager,” npm says its name is not an acronym. Its official explanation is the recursive backronym “npm is not an acronym.”
What does the “p” in npm stand for?
Strictly speaking, it does not stand for a word: npm is not an acronym for “Node Package Manager.” npm’s official FAQ calls the name a “recursive backronymic abbreviation” for “npm is not an acronym.” The joke is recursive because the phrase itself uses the letters npm; if the name were ninaa, the FAQ says, it would count as an acronym.
Where did the name come from?
npm’s FAQ says the project’s precursor was a Bash utility named pm, short for pkgmakeinst. That utility installed various things across platforms. The FAQ describes possible expansions for the later name as “node pm” or “new pm,” not “Node Package Manager.”
What does npm do?
Although the popular expansion is wrong, “package manager” does describe npm’s practical role. The npm command-line interface (CLI) can install JavaScript packages and their dependencies. The npm install reference explains that packages can be specified by registry name, version, tag, Git repository, tarball, or folder. That reference is for legacy npm CLI 7.24.2, so its version-specific options and defaults should not be assumed to describe newer CLI releases.
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The CLI works with the npm Public Registry, where users can search for, download, publish, and manage packages. npm’s Open-Source Terms, last updated March 10, 2022, describe those services and state that npm Open Source has no charge; paid services have separate terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you write npm?
Use lowercase npm in ordinary text. npm’s guidance allows all-capital styling where a format convention calls for it, such as a man-page title.
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