What does npm start do in nodejs

When you issue the command npm start from the root directory of your nodejs project, node will look for a scripts object in your package.json file. If found, it will look for a script with the key start and run the command specified as its value. If your package.json does not have any scripts object or if the scripts object does not have a start key, it will run the command node server.js instead. Npm scripts are pretty useful because they let you group together and run logically related commands. e.g. linters, minifiers etc.

If you are unfamiliar with package.json, here's a nifty little interactive explanation of its different parts. Check it out!

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2. How to publish a package on npm
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5. Installing, Listing and Uninstalling packages using npm