Npm Install The Exact Package Version Specified In Package Json

Have you ever wanted to ensure that you can install the exact version of a package specified in your package.json file when working on a project in Node.js? In this article, we'll walk through the steps to achieve this using npm, the popular package manager for Node.js projects.

When you run `npm install`, by default, npm fetches the latest version of the specified package and installs it. However, there are times when you may need to install a specific version of a package to ensure compatibility with your project. This is where specifying the exact package version in the package.json file becomes crucial.

To install the exact package version specified in your package.json file, you can use the `--save-exact` flag when adding a new dependency or updating an existing one. This flag instructs npm to save the exact version of the package in the package.json file.

Here's how you can do it:

1. **Adding a New Dependency**: When adding a new dependency, you can specify the exact version by running the following command:

npm install package-name@version --save-exact

Replace `package-name` with the name of the package you want to install and `version` with the specific version you need. The `--save-exact` flag ensures that the exact version is saved in the package.json file.

2. **Updating an Existing Dependency**: If you need to update an existing dependency to a specific version, you can run the following command:

npm update package-name@version --save-exact

This command updates the existing dependency to the specified version and saves the exact version in the package.json file.

By specifying the exact package version and using the `--save-exact` flag, you can avoid unexpected breaking changes that may occur when installing the latest version of a package.

Additionally, to ensure that the exact package versions specified in the package.json file are installed when setting up a new project or after cloning a repository, you can run:

npm install --save-exact

This command will install all dependencies with their exact versions as specified in the package.json file.

It's worth noting that specifying exact package versions can help maintain consistency across team members working on the same project, as everyone will be using the same versions of dependencies.

In conclusion, by leveraging the `--save-exact` flag in npm, you can easily install the exact package versions specified in your package.json file. This simple practice can save you from potential compatibility issues and ensure that your project runs smoothly.