npm-completion

Enable tab-completion for the current shell session

$ npm completion

$ npm completion >> ~/.bashrc

$ npm completion >> ~/.zshrc

$ npm completion > [path/to/file]

npm completion [shell]
npm completion --shell=<shell>
This command outputs the completion script to standard output.

shell
    A positional argument specifying the target shell for which to generate the completion script. Currently supports bash and zsh.

--shell=<shell>
    An option explicitly defining the shell type for completion. Equivalent to the positional shell argument, useful for clarity or when other arguments might conflict. Use bash or zsh.

The npm completion command generates shell completion scripts for npm commands. When sourced by your shell (like bash or zsh), these scripts enable tab-completion, allowing users to quickly autocomplete npm commands, subcommands, and options by pressing the Tab key. This significantly enhances the command-line experience by reducing typing and preventing errors.

The script dynamically queries the current npm installation, ensuring that the completion suggestions are always up-to-date with the installed npm version and its available commands and options. It supports common shells like Bash and Zsh. Users typically redirect the output of this command into their shell's configuration file (e.g., .bashrc, .zshrc) to enable it persistently.

The npm completion command is not meant for direct interactive use; its output is a shell script intended to be sourced by a shell's configuration. Users must manually add the generated script to their shell's startup file (e.g., ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc) and then reload their shell or source the file for changes to take effect.

While the script is designed for dynamic updates, if the underlying npm CLI's completion mechanism changes drastically, a re-generation might be necessary, though this is rare.

To enable npm completion for bash, typically run: npm completion >> ~/.bashrc. For zsh, run: npm completion --shell=zsh >> ~/.zshrc. After adding, reload your shell (e.g., exec bash or exec zsh) or source the file (e.g., source ~/.bashrc).

The generated completion script doesn't just provide static suggestions. It dynamically queries your current npm installation to get a real-time list of commands, subcommands, and options, ensuring that new features or changed syntax in npm are immediately reflected in your shell's auto-completion without requiring you to re-run npm completion.

Shell completion for npm has been a core feature aimed at improving developer experience since early versions of the npm CLI. It was introduced to simplify the usage of npm's growing number of commands and options, allowing users to discover functionalities more easily and reduce common typing errors.

Its dynamic nature, querying npm directly for commands, ensures it remains relevant and up-to-date with new npm releases without requiring manual updates of the completion script itself, only a re-generation if the npm CLI structure fundamentally changes how completion is handled.

npm(1), bash(1), zsh(1), bash_completion(1)