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Most developers use these config files daily — but few truly understand how they work, why they matter, and how small mistakes can break a project or waste hours of debugging time. This post goes beyond definitions: we’ll explore how these files work, why they matter, best practices, and common real-world mistakes to avoid. 1️⃣ package.json What it is: The heart of any Node.js or React project. It lists the project’s metadata, dependencies, scripts and configuration. How it works: Acts as the project manifest — when you run npm install, it reads the dependencies and installs them. Important things to remember: Keep dependencies (dependencies) and dev tools (devDependencies) separate. Always update versions carefully — check changelogs when upgrading.
Most developers use these config files daily — but few truly understand how they work, why they matter, and how small mistakes can break a project or waste hours of debugging time.
This post goes beyond definitions: we’ll explore how these files work, why they matter, best practices, and common real-world mistakes to avoid.
1️⃣ package.json
What it is:
The heart of any Node.js or React project.
It lists the project’s metadata, dependencies, scripts and configuration.How it works:
Acts as the project manifest — when you runnpm install, it reads the dependencies and installs them.-
Important things to remember:
- Keep dependencies (
dependencies) and dev tools (devDependencies) separate. - Always update versions carefully — check changelogs when upgrading.
- Keep dependencies (
