Get Started with JavaScript

Possible Setups:

Basic Setup

Node.js (which includes JavaScript runtime and npm) can be installed from: https://nodejs.org/en/download

Once installed, you can check the version:

node --version
npm --version

1. Project Initialization

Initialize a project:

npm init -y

This creates a package.json file that manages your project dependencies.

2. Running a JavaScript File

Create a main.js file with the code:

console.log("Hello World");

Run the file:

node main.js

3. Installing Libraries

For example, to install the dotenv library:

npm install dotenv

Uninstalling a library can be done with the npm uninstall command.

The list of installed libraries is automatically maintained in package.json and package-lock.json.

Install libraries from a package.json file:

npm install

When getting back to a project 

# Install libraries
npm install

# Run JavaScript file
node main.js

Better Setup

Instead of using the default Node.js tools, you can use nvm for Node.js version management and pnpm as a faster, more efficient package manager.

Installing the Tools

nvm can be installed from: https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm#installing-and-updating

pnpm can be installed from: https://pnpm.io/installation

1. Node.js Version Management

nvm allows you to install and switch between different Node.js versions easily.

Install the latest LTS version of Node.js:

nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

Check your Node.js version:

node --version

2. Project Initialization

Initialize a project:

pnpm init

3. Running a JavaScript File

Create a main.js file with the code:

console.log("Hello World");

Run the file:

node main.js
# or add a script to package.json and use:
# pnpm run start

4. Installing Libraries

For example, to install the dotenv library:

pnpm add dotenv
# instead of: npm install dotenv

Uninstalling a library can be done with the pnpm remove command.

The list of installed libraries is automatically maintained in package.json and pnpm-lock.yaml.

When getting back to a project 

# Use the correct Node.js version (if .nvmrc exists)
nvm use

# Install libraries (pnpm is much faster than npm)
pnpm install

# Run JavaScript file
node main.js
# or use your defined scripts:
# pnpm run start