[deathanatos]

… node_modules is your venv.

If we use uv from TFA, like the commands are nearly 1:1:

  npm install     <=> uv sync
  npm install foo <=> uv add foo

> It doesn't have to also store a local copy of NodeJS

… which Node devs do have a thing for, too, called nvm, written in bash.

[frollogaston]

The difference is it's default, it always works the same everywhere, it actually writes down the deps, and I don't have to manually switch between them (or set up fancy bashrc triggers) like venvs.

[deathanatos]

> it's default

This point is true; the ecosystem simply can't change overnight. uv is getting there, I hope.

> it always works the same everywhere

`uv` works the same, everywhere?

> it actually writes down the deps

`uv add` does that, too.

> I don't have to manually switch between them (or set up fancy bashrc triggers) like venvs.

You don't have to do that with `uv`, either?

[frollogaston]

Hope they make uv default then. It's nice, but I have to separately create a project with it, and regular python commands don't work with it, both of which go back to it not being default. But even that won't fix all the old projects.

[degamad]

node is not the default in js projects either, it's just the currently most popular manager. Old JS projects are their own bundle of fun.

[frollogaston]

Basically is by now. This is more of a recent thing for frontend JS, but NodeJS (which is more directly comparable to Python) had npm I think from the start.

Those browser JS libs installed via <script> tags though, honestly were pretty convenient in a way.