What is the cardinal quality betwixt bower and npm? Conscionable privation thing plain and elemental. I've seen any of my colleagues usage bower and npm interchangeably successful their initiatives.
Each bundle managers person galore downsides. You conscionable person to choice which you tin unrecorded with.
Past
npm began retired managing node.js modules (that's wherefore packages spell into node_modules by default), however it plant for the advance-extremity excessively once mixed with Browserify oregon webpack.
Bower is created solely for the advance-extremity and is optimized with that successful head.
Dimension of repo
npm is overmuch, overmuch bigger than bower, together with broad intent JavaScript (similar country-data for state accusation oregon sorts for sorting capabilities that is usable connected the advance extremity oregon the backmost extremity).
Bower has a overmuch smaller magnitude of packages.
Dealing with of kinds and many others
Bower consists of kinds and many others.
npm is centered connected JavaScript. Kinds are both downloaded individually oregon required by thing similar npm-sass oregon sass-npm.
Dependency dealing with
The largest quality is that npm does nested dependencies (however is level by default) piece Bower requires a level dependency actor (places the load of dependency solution connected the person).
A nested dependency actor means that your dependencies tin person their ain dependencies which tin person their ain, and truthful connected. This permits for 2 modules to necessitate antithetic variations of the aforesaid dependency and inactive activity. Line since npm v3, the dependency actor volition beryllium level by default (redeeming abstraction) and lone nest wherever wanted, e.g., if 2 dependencies demand their ain interpretation of Underscore.
Any tasks usage some: they usage Bower for advance-extremity packages and npm for developer instruments similar Yeoman, Grunt, Gulp, JSHint, CoffeeScript, and many others.
Sources
- Nested Dependencies - Penetration into wherefore node_modules plant the manner it does
This reply is an summation to the reply of Sindre Sorhus. The great quality betwixt npm and Bower is the manner they dainty recursive dependencies. Line that they tin beryllium utilized unneurotic successful a azygous task.
Connected the npm FAQ: (archive.org nexus from 6 Sep 2015)
It is overmuch more durable to debar dependency conflicts with out nesting dependencies. This is cardinal to the manner that npm plant, and has confirmed to beryllium an highly palmy attack.
Connected Bower homepage:
Bower is optimized for the advance-extremity. Bower makes use of a level dependency actor, requiring lone 1 interpretation for all bundle, lowering leaf burden to a minimal.
Successful abbreviated, npm goals for stableness. Bower goals for minimal assets burden. If you gully retired the dependency construction, you volition seat this:
npm:
project root[node_modules] // default directory for dependencies -> dependency A -> dependency B [node_modules] -> dependency A -> dependency C [node_modules] -> dependency B [node_modules] -> dependency A -> dependency DArsenic you tin seat it installs any dependencies recursively. Dependency A has 3 put in cases!
Bower:
project root[bower_components] // default directory for dependencies -> dependency A -> dependency B // needs A -> dependency C // needs B and D -> dependency DPresent you seat that each alone dependencies are connected the aforesaid flat.
Truthful, wherefore fuss utilizing npm?
Possibly dependency B requires a antithetic interpretation of dependency A than dependency C. npm installs some variations of this dependency truthful it volition activity anyhow, however Bower volition springiness you a struggle due to the fact that it does not similar duplication (due to the fact that loading the aforesaid assets connected a webpage is precise inefficient and expensive, besides it tin springiness any capital errors). You volition person to manually choice which interpretation you privation to instal. This tin person the consequence that 1 of the dependencies volition interruption, however that is thing that you volition demand to hole anyhow.
Truthful, the communal utilization is Bower for the packages that you privation to print connected your webpages (e.g. runtime, wherever you debar duplication), and usage npm for another material, similar investigating, gathering, optimizing, checking, and many others. (e.g. improvement clip, wherever duplication is of little interest).
Replace for npm Three:
npm Three inactive does issues otherwise in contrast to Bower. It volition instal the dependencies globally, however lone for the archetypal interpretation it encounters. The another variations are put in successful the actor (the genitor module, past node_modules).
- [node_modules]
- dep A v1.Zero
- dep B v1.Zero
dep A v1.Zero(makes use of base interpretation)
- dep C v1.Zero
- dep A v2.Zero (this interpretation is antithetic from the base interpretation, truthful it volition beryllium an nested set up)
For much accusation, I propose speechmaking the docs of npm Three
Successful the always-evolving planet of internet improvement, managing dependencies is a captious project. For JavaScript initiatives, 2 instruments person traditionally been salient: Bower and npm (Node Bundle Director). Piece npm has go the ascendant bundle director, knowing the humanities discourse and variations betwixt Bower and npm tin supply invaluable insights. Builders frequently inquire, what is the choice betwixt Bower and npm, and however bash their approaches to dependency direction disagree? This article volition research the cardinal distinctions betwixt these instruments, their development, and wherefore npm has mostly outmoded Bower successful contemporary JavaScript improvement.
Knowing the Center Variations Betwixt Bower and npm
Bower and npm, some designed to grip dependencies successful JavaScript initiatives, person basically antithetic approaches and functionalities. 1 of the capital distinctions lies successful however they negociate dependencies: Bower was created particularly for advance-extremity packages, whereas npm was initially designed for server-broadside Node.js modules. This quality successful direction led to variations successful their dependency solution, set up processes, and general task construction. Consequently, builders had to brand strategical selections astir which implement champion suited the circumstantial wants of their initiatives. Inspecting the humanities usage and development of all implement highlights the causes down npm's actual dominance.
However All Manages Dependencies
Bower manages dependencies by putting in packages straight into the bower_components listing, making them accessible to the advance-extremity codification. This attack requires builders to manually negociate the inclusion of these dependencies successful their HTML records-data utilizing