Development Concepts

Package Manager

A tool that installs and manages code libraries.

Definition

A package manager downloads, installs, updates, and removes libraries (packages) that your project depends on. npm (for JavaScript) and pip (for Python) are the most common. They read a manifest file (package.json or requirements.txt) that lists what your project needs, then fetch everything automatically.

Example

npm install express downloads the Express web framework and all its dependencies into a node_modules folder, then records the version in package.json.

See it in context Learn how Package Manager fits into the bigger picture of how software actually works.

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