What is a package manager?

Package manager image

 Hello Devs, in today's article I am going to talk about what are package managers and how it would help make your development experience more easier. I would also talk about how you can install some of them incase you do not have them.

Requirements

But before we actually start looking at package managers, it is necessary you understand how to use the terminal aka command promp (CMD). This is because package managers achieve their effective performance from the light weight feature of the terminal since the terminal is not graphics extensive. And also almost all package managers operate via the terminal or command line interface. The experience is quiet fun when using the command-line especially when you know what you are doing. 

Follow this link to learn more about the terminal or commad prompt. Learn CMD. This resource over here would get you started with the terminal so that you can be able to operate on the package managers.

What is a package manager ?

With that being said. Let now head to what a package manager really means. A package manager is a system or set of tools used to automate installing, upgrading, configuring and using software. Most package managers are designed for discovering and installing developer tools. Example; using a package manager to install a framework for a programming language.

In our case, package managers are softwares used extensively by computer programming lanaguages to help install modules, libraries and frameworks needed for the development of a software. These downloaded or installed resources are mostly termed as dependencies in software development because the software you are developing would heavily depend on them to function well.

Why you need package manager softwares

1. Automated Installation: Package managers automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages. 

2. Dependency Resolution: Dependencies are packages that are needed for a software package to function. Package managers can detect when a package has a dependency and automatically install it. 

3. Version Control: Package managers can detect and control the versions of software packages installed, ensuring that only the most up-to-date versions are used. 

4. Security: Package managers can detect and alert users to potential security issues with packages. 

5. Repositories: Package managers can access repositories of software packages, making it easier to find the desired software.

5. Saves you time.

How to install a package manager

let look at how to install python package manager.

Python

Pip is a package management system used to install and manage software packages written in Python.

1. Verify Python Installation

Before you can install pip, you need to confirm that Python is installed on your system. To check if Python is installed, open a command prompt (or a terminal if you are using Mac or Linux) and type the following command:

python --version 

If Python is installed, you should see a response with the version number of your installation (e.g. Python 3.8.3).

2. Install Pip

If Python is installed, you can install Pip by downloading the get-pip.py file and running it with the Python interpreter.

First, open a command prompt and navigate to the folder where you have downloaded the get-pip.py file. Then type the following command:

python get-pip.py

This will install Pip and all the dependencies required for it to work properly. Once the installation is complete, you can verify it by typing the following command:

pip --version

This should display the version of Pip that is installed on your system.


let look at how to install php package manager.

PHP

Composer is a package manager for php.

1. Download the Composer Windows installer from https://getcomposer.org/download/ 

2. Run the installer and follow the instructions. 

3. After installation is complete, open the command line and navigate to the directory where Composer was installed. 

4. Type in “composer” and press enter. 

5. A welcome message will be displayed and Composer is now ready to be used.

JavaScript

Node is a package manager for javaSript.

1. Download the Node.js installable from the official Node.js website. 

2. Run the installer. 

3. Follow the instructions in the installer to complete the installation. 

4. Verify that Node.js was installed correctly by running the following command in your terminal: 

node -v. 

5. If the version number is displayed, Node.js has been successfully installed.

Examples of Package Managers

Some package manager softwares listed below;

  • apk-tools for UNIX like RAM-based embedded systems
  • dpkg for Debian (and now Ubuntu)

Conclusion

Package manager software is very important for every professional software engineer. It will simply make your coding experience more friendly and productive. Download the ones suitable for your programming lanaguage of choice.

HaPpY Coding. 

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