Is there a difference between `npm start` and `npm run start`?

Question

I am able to run both the npm start and npm run start commands. I used create-react-app to create my application. To make configuration changes in the CSS module, I want to run npm eject but it throws an error.

The npm run eject command works however. I'm confused as to why npm eject did not work. Can I configure it to work?

Below is my package.json file:

"scripts": {
    "start": "react-scripts start",
    "build": "react-scripts build",
    "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom",
    "eject": "react-scripts eject"
}

score 430 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 04 '19 at 20:26

430

npm test, npm start, npm restart, and npm stop are all aliases for npm run xxx.

For all other scripts you define, you need to use the npm run xxx syntax.

See the docs at https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/run-script for more information.

edited Dec 04 '19 at 20:26

Reg Edit

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answered Jul 16 '18 at 09:12

AKX

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like i am new to this, i didn't clearly understood that one – Learner Jul 16 '18 at 09:46
What in particular didn't you understand? – AKX Jul 16 '18 at 09:47
i didnt understand like meant by aliases means? – Learner Jul 16 '18 at 09:47
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With aliases I mean that `npm test` does exactly what `npm run test` does, `npm start` does exactly what `npm run start` does, and so on. – AKX Jul 16 '18 at 09:49
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why start is aliase and build is not? – user1912383 Sep 27 '18 at 14:48
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@user1912383 You'd have to ask the authors of npm. I suppose `npm start` is just used often enough to warrant an alias. – AKX Sep 28 '18 at 12:47
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Actually, it also runs the `prestart` and `poststart` script, before and after the `start` script https://docs.npmjs.com/misc/scripts – hashlash Apr 26 '20 at 16:13
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@hashlash That's true for `npm run *` too. `npm run foo` will run `prefoo`, `foo`, `postfoo`. – AKX Apr 26 '20 at 16:37
how about npm init and npm run init. Are they also exactly the same when you run them? If not, what's their difference? please point me to a good reference please. Thanks. – winux Aug 03 '20 at 17:38
I think the x's were what were a bit confusing. The convention is normally * for a wildcard. – Gary Carlyle Cook Aug 06 '20 at 20:31

score 33 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 03 '20 at 10:24

33

npm start is the short form for npm run start. So, its one and the same thing.

answered Jan 03 '20 at 10:24

Ayushi Jain

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Vimal Maheedharan · Answer 3 · 2021-11-29T02:52:22.733

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One interesting thing to note is,
If the scripts object does not have a "start" property in package.json file, npm start or npm run start from command line will run node server.js by default.

But if the scripts object in package.json has "start" property, it overrides node server.js and executes the command in "start" property.

See - https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npm-start#description

edited Nov 29 '21 at 02:52

answered Nov 01 '21 at 08:54

Vimal Maheedharan

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score 3 · Answer 4 · answered Oct 27 '22 at 13:50

3

Telling this because sometimes this can be help to someone. Inside the jenkins pipelines you should use npm commands with "run" ex- npm run start if not the command will not be executed.

answered Oct 27 '22 at 13:50

Kasun Wimaladarma

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It's actually any minimal environment where you are lacking things like stdout (a true tty), such as in a minimal or stipped container. In these cases many aliases are actually non-existent; For example, when using Jenkins, Tavis-CI, or GitLab-CI, in various versions of their runners and containers - even with self-installed Node, you will find `npm test` fails with an error that the command is not found, and you'll need to set `npm run test`. This is a good point to make, so I upvoted you - its just not an answer to the question (obviously). – Rik Nov 27 '22 at 03:42

Is there a difference between `npm start` and `npm run start`?

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