Is there a way to automatically build the package.json file for Node.js projects

Question

Is package.json supposed to be manually edited? Couldn\'t a program like npm just look through the files, see the \"require\" statements, and then use that to put the necess

Answer 1

1. Choice

If you git and GitHub user:

    generate-package more simply, than npm init.

else

and/or you don't like package.json template, that generate-package or npm init generate:

    you can generate your own template via scaffolding apps as generate, sails or yeoman.

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2. Relevance

This answer is relevant for March 2018. In the future, the data from this answer may be obsolete.

Author of this answer personally used generate-package at March 2018.

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3. Limitations

You need use git and GitHub for using generate-package.

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4. Demonstration

For example, I create blank folder sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package.

4.1. generate-package

Command:

D:\SashaDemoRepositories\sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package>gen package
[16:58:52] starting generate
[16:59:01] √ running tasks: [ 'package' ]
[16:59:04] starting package
? Project description? generate-package demo
? Author's name? Sasha Chernykh
? Author's URL? https://vk.com/hair_in_the_wind
[17:00:19] finished package √ 1m

package.json:

{
  "name": "sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package",
  "description": "generate-package demo",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "homepage": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package",
  "author": "Sasha Chernykh (https://vk.com/hair_in_the_wind)",
  "repository": "Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package",
  "bugs": {
    "url": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package/issues"
  },
  "license": "MIT",
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=4"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "test": "mocha"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "generate",
    "init",
    "npm",
    "package",
    "sasha",
    "vs"
  ]
}

4.2. npm init

D:\SashaDemoRepositories\sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package>npm init
This utility will walk you through creating a package.json file.
It only covers the most common items, and tries to guess sensible defaults.

See `npm help json` for definitive documentation on these fields
and exactly what they do.

Use `npm install ` afterwards to install a package and
save it as a dependency in the package.json file.

Press ^C at any time to quit.
package name: (sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package)
version: (1.0.0) 0.1.0
description: npm init demo
entry point: (index.js)
test command: mocha
git repository: https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package
keywords: generate, package, npm, package, sasha, vs
author: Sasha Chernykh
license: (ISC) MIT
About to write to D:\SashaDemoRepositories\sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package\package.json:

{
  "name": "sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "description": "npm init demo",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "mocha"
  },
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "git+https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package.git"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "generate",
    "package",
    "npm",
    "package",
    "sasha",
    "vs"
  ],
  "author": "Sasha Chernykh",
  "license": "MIT",
  "bugs": {
    "url": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package/issues"
  },
  "homepage": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package#readme"
}


Is this ok? (yes) y

{
  "name": "sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "description": "npm init demo",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "mocha"
  },
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "git+https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package.git"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "generate",
    "package",
    "npm",
    "package",
    "sasha",
    "vs"
  ],
  "author": "Sasha Chernykh",
  "license": "MIT",
  "bugs": {
    "url": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package/issues"
  },
  "homepage": "https://github.com/Kristinita/sasha-npm-init-vs-generate-package#readme"
}

I think, that generate-package more simply, that npm init.

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5. Customizing

That create your own package.json template, see generate and yeoman examples.