Creating NPM packages: The Complete Guide from Udemy

NPM packages are the most popular and powerful way today for making your code reusable and share it between various projects. But as most of us are starting to code for the web by developing web applications, when the time comes and we need to create and publish our own first NPM package, we find ourselfs guessing what are the best practices we should follow

That's what happened to me a few years ago when I was required to create my first NPM package. I tried to search for some detailed tutorial or an in-depth course to guide me, but pretty soon I realized such source doesn't really exist. So I started gathering the knowledge through endless blog posts, short tutorials, friends, colleagues and mainly a lot of exploring and experimenting I did on my own.

Years later, I'm really happy to publish this course and share the knowledge I accumulated during all this time. One of the main purposes of doing so, is to make your journey with NPM packages much easier and pleasant. So I hope you will enjoy this ride of learning and start implementing your own amazing NPM packages

This course will start from the basic stuff regarding NPM packages and then continue to the most advanced topics it involves

You will learn the basic structure of an NPM package, all the configurations involved in creating it, and of course the various properties that the package json file should include. We will experiment with our newly created package, ship it with different module systems, develop it with full typescript support and see the differences between consuming it through frontend and backend applications. We will then learn how we can automate the process of versioning and publishing the package, with some of the most popular and exciting CI tools. Pre-releases will also be on the menu, and we will learn some techniques that will enable us to publish pre-release versions while maintaining our current stable version. We will test various ways of building our packages, and of course, we will take a deep dive into the interesting topic of tree shaking, where we will see live examples and reveal all the behind the scenes of it.

After this course you will feel confident regarding your ability to create NPM packages with best practices, and you will have the tools to debug the behavior of your package and adjust its configurations according to your needs

I hope you will have a great experience during our time together, and wish you will soon start to implement your own creative ideas for your popular, brand-new, NPM package

What's inside

Learning objectives

Learn all basic & advanced configurations every npm package creator must know
Implement tree shakable packages (dive deep and truely understand this concept)
Publish your npm package with ease using automated ci tools

Ship your package with vaious module systems
Handle parallel development of pre-release versions of your package while maintainning stable versions
Create your package with typescript support

Learn all basic & advanced configurations every npm package creator must know
Implement tree shakable packages (dive deep and truely understand this concept)
Publish your npm package with ease using automated ci tools
Ship your package with vaious module systems
Handle parallel development of pre-release versions of your package while maintainning stable versions
Create your package with typescript support

Syllabus

Introduction

How to get help

After this section you will know how to write and publish a basic NPM package and be familiar with all the basic concepts it involves

Section intro

Verifing Node version

Create git repo for the package

Generate source code

Package json name property

Module systems in packages

Setting tsconfig.json

Installing Rollup

Rollup configuration

Configurations explained

Package entry points

The files field

Creting our npm account

Publishing our package

Section wrap up

Linking our package

Experimenting with the package

Installing a Vite app

Using the package inside the app

Exploring the app's production bundle

How our package is consumed?

Express App

Installing express js dependencies

Using the package inside express

Experimenting with the express app

Behind the scenes of npm link

Versioning & Publishing

First condition for tree shakable package

Changesets action

Semantic versioning

Initializing changesets

Writing github workflow

Explain the workflow

Creating a Github token

Creating a NPM token

Publishing with changesets

Multiple tasks with changesets

Pre releases

Planning pre release

Enter pre release mode

Working in parallel

Publish our first pre release version

Consume the pre release version

Parallel work on regular release

Consume the regular package release

Promoting our pre release tag

Releasing the next major version

Trying the new major version

Tree shaking

Explaining tree shaking

Components package code

Creating git repo for the new package

Exploring the package's code

Prepare for publishing

Generating github token

Generating npm token

Publishing the components package

using our new package

Is our package tree shakable

NPM packages and side effects

How to leverage the side effects optimization

Package built with typescript

Publish our tree shakable package

Testing if the package is tree shakable

One more mystery to solve

Closing notes

Congratulations

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Covers NPM package creation, which is essential for modern web development and sharing code between projects, making it highly relevant for web developers

Teaches how to create NPM packages with TypeScript support, which is valuable for JavaScript developers looking to improve code quality and maintainability

Explores continuous integration (CI) tools for automating versioning and publishing, which is a core skill for software engineers involved in package management

Discusses handling pre-release versions while maintaining stable versions, which is useful for package maintainers managing complex projects

Examines tree shaking in detail with live examples, which is important for module developers aiming to optimize package size and performance

Requires creating accounts and tokens for GitHub and NPM, which may present a barrier to some learners who are new to these platforms

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Creating NPM packages: The Complete Guide with these activities:

Review JavaScript Module Systems

Show steps

Solidify your understanding of different JavaScript module systems to better grasp how NPM packages are structured and consumed.

Show steps

Read articles explaining CommonJS, AMD, UMD, and ES Modules.
Compare and contrast the syntax and usage of each module system.
Identify which module systems are supported by Node.js and browsers.

Read 'Effective TypeScript'

Show steps

Improve your TypeScript skills to create better NPM packages with type safety and improved developer experience.

View Effective Typescript on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book 'Effective TypeScript'.
Take notes on key concepts and best practices.
Apply the principles learned to your NPM package development.

Create a Simple Utility Package

Show steps

Practice creating a basic NPM package to solidify your understanding of package structure, configuration, and publishing.

Show steps

Create a new directory for your package.
Initialize a new NPM package using `npm init`.
Write a simple utility function (e.g., string manipulation).
Configure your `package.json` file with appropriate metadata.
Publish your package to NPM.

Four other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all seven activities

Write a Blog Post on Tree Shaking

Show steps

Deepen your understanding of tree shaking by explaining the concept and its benefits in a blog post.

Show steps

Research tree shaking and its implementation in bundlers like Webpack and Rollup.
Write a clear and concise explanation of tree shaking for a technical audience.
Include examples of how tree shaking can reduce bundle size.
Publish your blog post on a platform like Medium or your personal website.

Create a CI/CD Pipeline for an NPM Package

Show steps

Automate the process of testing, versioning, and publishing your NPM package using CI/CD tools.

Browse courses on CI/CD

Show steps

Choose a CI/CD platform (e.g., GitHub Actions, Travis CI, CircleCI).
Configure your CI/CD pipeline to run tests on each commit.
Automate versioning and publishing using tools like Changesets.
Set up secrets for NPM token and other sensitive information.

Contribute to an Open Source NPM Package

Show steps

Gain practical experience by contributing to an existing open-source NPM package.

Show steps

Find an open-source NPM package that interests you.
Review the package's documentation and contribution guidelines.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Read 'Building Microservices'

Show steps

Understand the principles of modular design to create more maintainable and reusable NPM packages.

View Building Microservices: Designing Fine-Grained... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book 'Building Microservices'.
Take notes on key concepts related to modularity and reusability.
Apply the principles learned to your NPM package design.

Career center

Learners who complete Creating NPM packages: The Complete Guide will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Module Developer

A module developer focuses on building modular components that can be integrated into larger applications, and this course on NPM packages gives a foundation for modular Javascript code. This course teaches how to create modules as NPM packages, and it provides practical hands-on examples. The course covers module systems, package configurations, and version management, all of which are relevant for module developers. A module developer who wishes to learn how to create and maintain a modern modular codebase would benefit greatly from this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Module Developer

Library Developer

Library developers specialize in creating reusable code components, and this course focuses specifically on NPM packages, a key method of sharing code in the JavaScript ecosystem. Libraries are intended to be shared and reused, which is the focus of this course. This course covers how to develop, version, package and publish a library, and provides practical knowledge through a variety of examples. Library developers can also take advantage of the course's instruction on module systems, tree shaking, and CI. Library developers who want to gain a deeper understanding of how to create and maintain high-quality libraries should take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Library Developer

Open Source Contributor

Open source contributors often work on creating, maintaining, and publishing packages. This course provides all of the basic and advanced knowledge needed to release quality NPM packages. An open source contributor needs to understand all parts of the package lifecycle, from creation to publishing, and this course provides both theoretical and practical knowledge. This course teaches how to manage different versions, handle pre-releases, and automate the publishing with CI, all of which are essential skills for publishing and maintaining open-source packages. Any open source contributor that deals with Javascript-based projects should take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Open Source Contributor

Frontend Developer

Frontend developers often utilize external libraries and frameworks, and this course directly empowers them to create their own reusable code. Frontend development involves building user interfaces using frameworks and libraries, many of which are distributed as NPM packages. This course prepares a frontend developer to not only consume, but also create and publish their own custom NPM packages. They can build reusable components and share them across projects. The course's focus on module systems, tree shaking, and version management is vital for optimizing frontend applications. Any frontend developer who wishes to make their codebase modular and scalable needs to take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Frontend Developer

Full-Stack Developer

Full stack developers work across both frontend and backend development, and this course prepares them to share code across both domains. This course enables a full stack developer to understand how to create and publish code as an NPM package. This means they can build reusable components and services that can be shared throughout the stack. The course's coverage of module systems, packaging, and version control is useful for both frontend and backend projects. A full stack developer who seeks to create a cohesive application with shared code must take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Full-Stack Developer

Software Engineer

A software engineer often works on the development of applications and libraries, and this course can be directly relevant to that role. A key component of software engineering involves creating and publishing reusable code, often in the form of packages. This course provides in-depth knowledge of creating NPM packages, which are essential for sharing code across JavaScript projects. The course also teaches how to manage versions, automate publishing, and handle pre-releases, which are all valuable skills for any software engineer. Understanding module systems and optimizing for tree shaking is also useful for the performance of applications. A software engineer seeking to specialize in frontend or backend development should take this course to learn how to distribute and manage their code efficiently.

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Backend Developer

Backend developers can greatly benefit from this course as they often build services and APIs to be consumed by other applications. Backend development involves creating server-side logic for various applications. This course empowers a backend developer to create and publish NPM packages that can be used throughout a project or within an organization. Server-side software often includes shared code, and this course teaches how to manage that code with NPM. The course's coverage of module systems and versioning is especially useful when building robust backend systems. Any backend developer who wants to improve the organization and scalability of their code needs to take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Backend Developer

Build Engineer

A build engineer focuses on the software release life cycle, and this course covers vital steps in that process, specifically how to create, manage and distribute NPM packages. Build engineers manage the process of creating software and making it available for consumption. This course provides knowledge of all the stages of NPM package development, from setting up the project to publishing it with CI tools. The course teaches how to manage different versions of a package using semantic versioning. Any build engineer who wants to fully understand the release process of Javascript projects needs to take this course

See salaries and explore the career path for Build Engineer

Tooling Engineer

Tooling engineers design and develop tools that other developers use. This course provides a good understanding of how to create, version, and publish NPM packages, which are often used by other tooling engineers. This course enables a tooling engineer to streamline their development process using custom packages. They can benefit from learning about versioning, configuration, module systems, and CI automation, all of which are discussed in the course. A tooling engineer who wants to gain more familiarity with NPM ecosystems should take this course.

See salaries and explore the career path for Tooling Engineer

DevOps Engineer

DevOps engineers must understand how software is built and deployed, and this course covers an essential aspect of the development process: how to create, publish, and manage NPM packages. DevOps engineers use tools to automate the software release cycle, and this course gives valuable insight into the intricacies of packaging, versioning, and publishing when building software that integrates with other software. The course's coverage of CI tools is especially useful for a DevOps engineer. A DevOps engineer will find this course helpful as it covers the process of creating, testing, and releasing a software package.

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Release Manager

Release managers oversee the process of software releases. This course provides a good foundation for the process of packaging and releasing NPM packages. Release managers benefit from a deep understanding of the software release process. This course provides knowledge of how to use CI tools, handle versioning, and manage pre-releases, all of which are vital for a Release Manager. A Release Manager who seeks to learn about the release cycle of a JavaScript-based application or library should take this course.

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Technical Lead

Technical leads must understand how code is developed and deployed across projects, and this course covers essential steps in that process specifically packaging and publishing NPM packages. A technical lead oversees team work and needs to make sure that different parts of a project are well integrated and reused. This course provides the necessary knowledge of how to create and share reusable code. The course provides insights on version management and continuous integration, both of which are helpful for a technical lead. A technical lead seeking to ensure efficient code sharing needs to take this course.

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Principal Engineer

Principal engineers often set standards and best practices for software development. This course gives a principal engineer the tools to build reusable code components in the form of NPM packages. Principal engineers are expected to have a deep understanding of the entire software development life cycle, and this course covers the important topics of creating, versioning, releasing, and debugging NPM packages. It provides a complete lifecycle of package creation and distribution. A principal engineer wanting to establish a unified and reusable code framework will find this course to be very useful.

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Software Architect

A software architect designs systems with reusability and maintainability in mind. This course enables a software architect to create and manage reusable software components in the form of NPM packages. A software architect is concerned with the broader system design, and reusable code is a core part of that. A software architect must understand how to package and distribute software across a system, and this course covers key topics such as version management, module systems, and tree shaking. A software architect who wants to design more robust and maintainable systems will find that this course provides useful context.

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Technical Writer

Technical writers often document software libraries, and this course provides the background knowledge needed to explain how to create and publish NPM packages. Technical writers who specialize in Javascript will have to explain the different concepts covered within the course. This course allows a technical writer to go beyond rote documentation with a real understanding of the software development process. A technical writer seeking to build a deeper understanding of NPM practices should take this course.

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Creating NPM packages

The Complete Guide

What's inside

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Syllabus

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Activities

Career center

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