npm publish doesn't include some files

[saebekassebil]

Hey guys,

I've just decided to remove my prebuilt dist/ files from my repository, since it was a pest to maintain and feels plain wrong. So I found the prepublish script, which seems perfect, but problem is, that after I switched to use prepublish my dist/ files doesn't get included when I do a npm publish!

My package.json:

{
...
  "main": "dist/file.js",
  "scripts": { "prepublish": "jake build" }
... 
}

But when I npm publish the files that the jade build command created in the dist/ folder doesn't get included!

My .gitignore is set to ignore files in dist - I don't know if that has any influence, although I know that it oughtn't.

[domenic]

From https://npmjs.org/doc/developers.html#Keeping-files-out-of-your-package

Use a .npmignore file to keep stuff out of your package. If there's no .npmignore file, but there is a .gitignore file, then npm will ignore the stuff matched by the .gitignore file. If you want to include something that is excluded by your .gitignore file, you can create an empty .npmignore file to override it.

(Emphasis added.)

[saebekassebil]

Thank @domenic that's really helpful! I would however like to note, that "Keeping files out of your package" is probably the last place I'd have looked.

May I also add, that it seems to me that npm has nothing to do with my .gitignore file, and shouldn't speculate on which files to add by looking at it.

[slurmulon]

Hi all, just wanted to share a useful tip for developers who prefer not having to commit build output folders (like myself!)

If you wish to publish your build/dist folder to NPM but not have to commit it, simply touch .npmignore (creates an empty file).

There is an implication, however, in that NPM can start publishing files that you wouldn't normally expect it to because they have always been elegantly detected in your .gitignore, so be sure to keep that in mind and stay explicit.

Source: http://stackoverflow.com/a/24942436