Node and NPM
Node.js came into existence when the original developers of JavaScript extended it from something you could only run in the browser to something you could run on your machine as a standalone application. This means it can be used for server-side programming which is extremely powerful.
Node Package Manager
Node Package Manager (NPM) is an online registry which is installed as a part of Node. NPM is used as a user-friendly method to share software within the node environment.
Node.js comes with the package.json file. This file unveils all packages used within a project. Packages are usable coding tools and functions wrapped in an, if well made, easy to use package. You can add these packages to your project to help you create features or make use of a certain service. Package sharing accelarates development as developers don't have to reinvent the wheel every time they make an application. There is a gigantic amount of open-source projects available via NPM.
Let's install Node.js using Homebrew. The Node Package Manager will automatically be added as well:
brew install node
Now you can check what version of Node is installed by typing the following command:
node -v