WTF is JSON

You might remember using npm start in your React app or using pip in python. Both npm and pip are package managers of their respective languages. Therefore the technical definition of package manager is -

“A package manager is a tool used in software development to manage the installation, updating, and removal of software packages or libraries."

Package managers automate the process of searching, installing, and maintaining these packages, which makes it easier for developers to include them in their projects. Instead of manually downloading and installing each package separately, developers can use the package manager to handle all the dependencies and ensure that the necessary versions are installed.

There are two main types of package managers:

System-Level Package Managers:

These package managers are used to manage packages at the operating system level. Examples of system-level package managers include Aptitude (used in Debian and Ubuntu), YUM (used in CentOS and Fedora), and Homebrew (used in macOS).

Language-Specific Package Managers:

These package managers are used to manage packages specific to a programming language. Examples of language-specific package managers include npm (used in Node.js), pip (used in Python), Composer (used in PHP), and NuGet (used in .NET).

In conclusion, a package manager is a tool that automates the process of managing software dependencies by allowing developers to search, install, and update packages or libraries easily. The use of a package manager saves time and reduces duplication of effort by automating the handling of dependencies. Almost every programming language has its own package manager, and using one has become a critical part of modern software development workflows.