devon npm setup ignores a given version

[fdcg]

Expected behavior

As a user, I want to define the variable NPM_VERSION as described in the documentation so that this defined version is installed with devon npm setup.

Actual behavior

The variable NPM_VERSION is ignored and there is only the NPM version installed with node available.

Steps to reproduce (bug) / Use Case of feature request (enhancement)

1. Install node with devon node setup
2. Call npm -version and notice the version
3. Set the variable NPM_VERSION to a different version.
4. Call devon npm setup
5. Call npm -version

The output of step 5 is the same as of step 2.

Related/Dependent Issues

Comments/Hints:

Affected version:

• Devon scripts: 2020.08.002
• OS: Windows
• Browser: independent

[hohwille]

npm command itself just delegates to node:

ide/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/command/npm

Line 21 in 1b535ea

doDevonCommand node setup silent

Seems that someone thought an implicit requirement is to get latest npm insode node command:

ide/scripts/src/main/resources/scripts/command/node

Line 39 in 1b535ea

doDevonCommand npm install -g @devon4node/cli@latest

IMHO I did not design this part.
Can someone still shed a light into this?

IMHO the expecation of @fdcg is correct and building on this I would say:

1. node command should not install or update npm at all
2. only npm command should do that
3. npm command should honor ${NPM_VERSION} variable to be consistent with all other commandlets. Only if that variable is undefined it should fallback to latest.

[hohwille]

@fdcg It seems that npm version is somehow bundled with node version. So the safest and easiest approach would be to maintain NODE_VERSION in your project that in the end will both manage node and npm for your project as these two bundled together are guaranteed to work in together fine.

Do you happen to need a specific npm version AND a speciifc node version that do not come together?
We could easily add some logic to npm commandlet that checks for NPM_VERSION and if present does the exact installation of that npm version regardless of the node version used. However, this approach could easily end in a setup that is broken.

[hohwille]

I created a simple fix with PR #672
@fdcg Is this solving your needs?

[fdcg]

@hohwille
Yes, using the NPM version installed with Node should be the default, that's OK.
However, installing NPM with npm install -g "npm@${NPM_VERSION}" does not work, because this would require npm to replace itself.
In fact, I get errors here as well.
The way from my pull request does nothing else, but without NPM, and works.