pnpx

Execute the binary from a given npm module

$ pnpx [module_name]

$ pnpx --package [package_name] [module_name]

$ pnpx --help

pnpx [options] <package> [arguments]

--package <package_name>
    Explicitly specify the package to execute. Useful when the package name isn't a valid executable name.

-c, --cache
    Force re-downloading dependencies, bypassing the cache.

-d, --debug
    Enable debug logging.

-y, --yes
    Bypass prompts when installing packages.

-v, --version
    Show version number.

--ignore-existing
    Ignore any existing globally installed versions of the package.

--no-install
    Do not install the package if it is not already present.

--shell <shell_command>
    Execute the command in a specific shell. Defaults to the current shell.

--silent
    Suppress output to the console.

--package-manager <npm|yarn|pnpm>
    Specify the package manager to use for installing the package (default: npm).

pnpx is a command-line tool designed to execute Node.js packages.
Unlike npm install -g, pnpx allows you to run packages without needing to install them globally.
This is particularly useful for executing infrequently used tools, experimenting with different versions of packages, and avoiding global dependency conflicts.
pnpx will download and cache the package if it's not already present, making subsequent invocations faster. It also attempts to prevent common issues like command shadowing by ensuring the executed package isn't already shadowed by a global installation. pnpx helps maintain a cleaner global environment and simplifies the process of using and testing Node.js command-line tools. pnpx is included with npm (Node Package Manager) since version 5.2.0.

pnpx requires Node.js and npm to be installed. Network connectivity is required for downloading packages that are not already cached.

The package is executed in a new Node.js process with the current working directory as the base. This allows packages to access local files and configurations. pnpx automatically adds the directory containing the executed package's `node_modules/.bin` to the PATH during execution, ensuring that any dependencies of the package are also available as commands.

pnpx was created to address the common problem of managing global dependencies in Node.js projects. Before pnpx, developers often had to install packages globally to use their command-line tools, leading to dependency conflicts and a cluttered global environment. pnpx was introduced as a convenient way to run packages on demand without the need for global installation. pnpx is included with npm since version 5.2.0.

npm(1), yarn(1), pnpm(1)