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docs(scripts): replace deprecated prepublish and install examples with prepare #8810

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25 changes: 12 additions & 13 deletions docs/lib/content/using-npm/scripts.md
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Expand Up @@ -82,17 +82,17 @@ See <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/10074> for a much lengthier justification

**Use Cases**

If you need to perform operations on your package before it is used, in a way that is not dependent on the operating system or architecture of the target system, use a `prepublish` script.
If you need to perform operations on your package before it is used, in a way that is not dependent on the operating system or architecture of the target system, use a `prepare` script.
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@owlstronaut owlstronaut Dec 5, 2025

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This sentence is also very strangely composed. Give a go at rephrasing?

This includes tasks such as:

* Compiling CoffeeScript source code into JavaScript.
* Compiling TypeScript or other source code into JavaScript.
* Creating minified versions of JavaScript source code.
* Fetching remote resources that your package will use.

The advantage of doing these things at `prepublish` time is that they can be done once, in a single place, thus reducing complexity and variability.
The advantage of doing these things at `prepare` time is that they can be done once, in a single place, thus reducing complexity and variability.
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@owlstronaut owlstronaut Dec 5, 2025

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I know you didn't add this, but doing these things feels very 3rd grade vague. Mind rewording it while you are here?

Additionally, this means that:

* You can depend on `coffee-script` as a `devDependency`, and thus your users don't need to have it installed.
* You can depend on build tools as `devDependencies`, and thus your users don't need to have them installed.
* You don't need to include minifiers in your package, reducing the size for your users.
* You don't need to rely on your users having `curl` or `wget` or other system tools on the target machines.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -292,25 +292,24 @@ For example, if your package.json contains this:
```json
{
"scripts" : {
"install" : "scripts/install.js",
"postinstall" : "scripts/install.js"
"prepare" : "scripts/build.js",
"test" : "scripts/test.js"
}
}
```

then `scripts/install.js` will be called for the install and post-install stages of the lifecycle.
Since `scripts/install.js` is running for two different phases, it would be wise in this case to look at the
`npm_lifecycle_event` environment variable.
then `scripts/build.js` will be called for the prepare stage of the lifecycle, and you can check the
`npm_lifecycle_event` environment variable if your script needs to behave differently in different contexts.

If you want to run a make command, you can do so.
If you want to run build commands, you can do so.
This works just fine:

```json
{
"scripts" : {
"preinstall" : "./configure",
"install" : "make && make install",
"test" : "make test"
"prepare" : "npm run build",
"build" : "tsc",
"test" : "jest"
}
}
```
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