1. Overview
To install Node.js on Windows, we will use the Bash Git terminal. This "How-To" assumes you have Bash Git installed, as the commands we will be use are Unix-based, unlike Windows' DOS commands which I am less familiar with. Node.js offers several download options on its download website page, ensure you are pointing to a Long Term Support (LTS) version. We will opt for using the FNM (Fast Node Manager) client command line install, once the Fast Node Manager is installed then we will be able to install Node.js and npm. These install steps ensure uniformity across Windows, Linux and MacOS. FNM installs simplify the installation process by installing both simultaneously:
- Node.js
- nmp
Node.js and npm are installed at the same time. At the end of the install we will ensure Node.js was successfully installed by testing it live using the REPL (Read-Evaluate-Print-Loop). Note that that REPL will not work in git bash but you can create a .js file and call it from git bash successfully as a test.
FNM | FNM (Fast Node Manager) is a command-line tool for managing multiple versions of Node.js. It is designed to be fast and efficient, providing a lightweight alternative to other Node version managers like nvm (Node Version Manager). FNM is optimized for speed, making it faster than many other Node.js version managers. FNM downloads and manages Node.js binaries and can support different versions concurrently on a given machine. |
---|---|
Node.js | Node.js is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. In the Angular ecosystem, Node.js is used to run the development server, build tools, and scripts, providing an environment to execute Angular commands. Basically Node.js provides the ecosystem for Angular projects. |
npm | npm (Node Package Manager) is used to manage the dependencies required for Angular development. It allows you to install, update, and manage packages, such as Angular CLI and other libraries, ensuring your Angular application has the necessary tools and libraries. NPM acts as a tool for running the Angular development server and managing various tasks in an Angular project. |