This tutorial uses npm (Node Package Manager) as a build tool. Before you can run this project, you will need to:
This workshop will use NPM (Node Package Manager) as a build tool.
First verify that you have Node.js installed on your machine by running the following command in your terminal:
node -v
... if the previous command returns a number, which is the version number of Node.js that is installed on your system. In that case, you can go directly to step 1.3.
... if the previous command is not recognized, and you see an error message indicating that the command is not found.
In that case, you will need to install Node.js: find instructions on how to install Node.js on the official website.
Once Node.js is installed, you can verify installation by re-running the previous command:
node -v
Note: it's generally a good practice to use the even-numbered Node.js versions with LTS (Long Term Support) status and marked 'Recommended for Most Users' on the download page. Versions like 14.x.x LTS, 16.x.x LTS, 18.x.x LTS, and similar are suitable for learning and deploying projects in production (which we will do on Sunday!)
NPM comes with Node.js and is pre-installed with Node. If it is correctly installed, entering the following command in your terminal should display the NPM version installed on your system:
npm -v
To make sure it is up to date, you can download the latest version of npm by running the following command:
npm install -g npm@latest
As you can imagine at this point of the workshop, we will be playing with a special feature of GitHub called GitHub Actions. That's why you will also need to:
First, verify your current version of git by running the following command in a terminal:
git --version
If this command is not recognized, you will need to install git on your computer. Find instructions on how to install git on the official website.
Note: as you probably know, Git is a version control system that tracks changes in your code, allowing you to collaborate with others and revert to previous states if something goes wrong, helping you manage your project's history effectively on your local machine.
If you haven’t already, create a GitHub account here 🐙
If needed, you can find more information about how to do so on the official documentation.
Note: GitHub is the web-based platform that uses git for version control, enabling you to store your code projects online in Git repositories. It provides a graphical interface for managing your code, collaborating with others, and offers additional features like issue tracking and pull requests, making it easier to work together on software development projects.