Installing and Removing External Software Using Node Package Manager

On this page:

• Introduction
• Installing Node.js and Node Package Manager (npm)
• Installing an external tool globally
• Installing an external tool in a project
• Installing an external tool as a development dependency

Introduction

A number of tools are started through Node.js, for example, the CoffeeScript, TypeScript, and Less transpilers, YUI, UglifyJS, and Closure compressors, Karma test runner, Grunt task runner, etc. The Node Package Manager (npm) is the easiest way to install these tools, the more so that you have to install Node.js anyway.

Depending on the desired location of the tool executable file, choose one of the following methods:

• Install the tool globally at the IntelliJ IDEA level so it can be used in any IntelliJ IDEA project.
• Install the tool in a specific project and thus restrict its use to this project.
• Install the tool in a project as a development dependency.

In either installation mode, make sure that the parent folder of the tool is added to the PATH variable. This enables you to launch the tool from any folder.

Installing Node.js and Node Package Manager (npm)

1. Download and install Node.js. The runtime environment is required for two reasons:
   • The tool is started through Node.js.
   • NPM, which is a part of the runtime environment, is also the easiest way to download the tool.

   If you are going to use the command line mode, make sure the path to the parent folder of the Node.js executable file and the path to the npm folder are added to the PATH variable. This enables you to launch the tool and npm from any folder.

2. Install and enable the NodeJS repository plugin as described in Installing, Updating and Uninstalling Repository Plugins and Enabling and Disabling Plugins.

Installing an external tool globally

Global installation makes a tool available at the IntelliJ IDEA level so it can be used in any IntelliJ IDEA project. Moreover, during installation the parent folder of the tool is automatically added to the PATH variable, which enables you to launch the tool from any folder. To install the tool globally, do one of the following:

• Run the installation from the command line in the global mode:
  1. Launch the embedded Terminal by hovering your mouse pointer over in the lower left corner of IntelliJ IDEA and choosing Terminal from the menu (see Working with Embedded Local Terminal for details).
  2. Switch to the directory where NPM is stored or define a PATH variable for it so it is available from any folder, see Installing NodeJs.
  3. Type the following command at the command line prompt:
     npm install -g <tool name>

     The -g key makes the tool run in the global mode. Because the installation is performed through NPM, the tool is installed in the npm folder. Make sure this parent folder is added to the PATH variable. This enables you to launch the tool from any folder.

     For more details on the NPM operation modes, see npm documentation. For more information about installing the tool, see https://npmjs.org/package/.

• Run NPM from IntelliJ IDEA using the Node.js and NPM page of the Settings dialog box.
  1. Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by pressing Ctrl+Alt+S or by choosing File | Settings for Windows and Linux or IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences for OS X, and click Node.js and NPM under Languages&Frameworks.
  2. On the Node.js and NPM page that opens, the Packages area shows all the Node.js-dependent packages that are currently installed on your computer, both at the global and at the project level. Click .
  3. In the Available Packages dialog box that opens, select the required package to install.
  4. Select the Options check box and type -g in the text box next to it.
  5. Optionally specify the product version and click Install Package to start installation.

Installing an external tool in a project

Installing a tool in a specific project restricts its use to this project. To run project installation, do one of the following:

• Run the installation from the command line:
  1. Launch the embedded Terminal by hovering your mouse pointer over in the lower left corner of IntelliJ IDEA and choosing Terminal from the menu (see Working with Embedded Local Terminal for details).
  2. Switch to the project root folder and type the following command at the command line prompt:
     npm install <tool name>
• Run NPM from IntelliJ IDEA using the Node.js and NPM page of the Settings dialog box.
  1. Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by pressing Ctrl+Alt+S or by choosing File | Settings for Windows and Linux or IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences for OS X, and click Node.js and NPM under Languages & Frameworks.
  2. On the Node.js and NPM page that opens, the Packages area shows all the Node.js-dependent packages that are currently installed on your computer, both at the global and at the project level. Click .
  3. In the Available Packages dialog box that opens, select the required package.
  4. Optionally specify the product version and click Install Package to start installation.

Project level installation is helpful and reliable in template-based projects of the type Node Boilerplate or Node.js Express, which already have the node_modules folder. The latter is important because NPM installs the tool in a node_modules folder. If your project already contains such folder, the tool is installed there.

Projects of other types or empty projects may not have a node_modules folder. In this case npm goes upwards in the folder tree and installs the tool in the first detected node_modules folder. Keep in mind that this detected node_modules folder may be outside your current project root.

Finally, if no node_modules folder is detected in the folder tree either, the folder is created right under the current project root and the tool is installed there.

In either case, make sure that the parent folder of the tool is added to the PATH variable. This enables you to launch the tool from any folder.

Installing an external tool as a development dependency

If a tool is a documentation or a test framework, which are of no need for those who are going to re-use your application, it is helpful to have it excluded from download for the future. This is done by marking the tool as a development dependency, which actually means adding the tool in the devDependencies section of the package.json file.

With IntelliJ IDEA, you can have a tool marked as a development dependency right during installation. Do one of the following:

• Run the installation from the command line:
  1. Launch the embedded Terminal by hovering your mouse pointer over in the lower left corner of IntelliJ IDEA and choosing Terminal from the menu (see Working with Embedded Local Terminal for details).
  2. Switch to the project root folder and type the following command at the command line prompt:
     npm install --dev <tool name>
• Run NPM from IntelliJ IDEA using the Node.js and NPM page of the Settings dialog box.
  1. Open the Settings / Preferences Dialog by pressing Ctrl+Alt+S or by choosing File | Settings for Windows and Linux or IntelliJ IDEA | Preferences for OS X, and click Node.js and NPM under Languages&Frameworks.
  2. On the Node.js and NPM page that opens, the Packages area shows all the Node.js-dependent packages that are currently installed on your computer, both at the global and at the project level. Click .
  3. In the Available Packages dialog box that opens, select the package.
  4. Select the Options check box and type --dev in the text box next to it.
  5. Optionally specify the product version and click Install Package to start installation.

After installation, a tool is added to the devDependencies section of the package.json file.