Travis Ennis

Useful NPX Commands for Node Developers

By Travis Ennis on January 30, 2025

Over the years, I've collected some useful tools that made some common tasks I need to do while working on Node project a whole lot easier. The following npx commands have been some of my favorites.

1. Generate .gitignore Files

npx gitignore <language>

This command generates .gitignore files using GitHub's official collection of templates. Just specify your language and get the appropriate .gitignore file.

2. Create License Files

npx license <license>

This command generates a standardized LICENSE file with appropriate text, automatically including the current year and project details. It supports various license types including MIT, Apache, and GPL.

3. Check Node.js Security

npx is-my-node-vulnerable

This command scans Node.js installations for known security vulnerabilities and indicates when updates are needed for security purposes.

4. Hunt Down Unused Code

npx knip

This tool identifies unused files, dependencies, and exports in JavaScript/TypeScript projects. It helps maintain code quality by detecting dead code, which can improve maintainability and reduce bundle sizes.

5. Interactive Dependency Updates

npx npm-check-updates --interactive --format group

This interactive tool provides organized package update management, with updates categorized by major, minor, and patch versions. It allows selective updating of dependencies.

6. Clean Up node_modules

npx npkill

Another interactive tool that locates and removes node_modules directories across your system. It is particularly useful when working with multiple projects and managing disk space.

These commands address common development tasks and can improve workflow efficiency.