[SOLVED] why does npm install dependences that are not listed in my package.json file?

why does npm install dependences that are not listed in my package.json file?

I'm having trouble finding an answer to this problem.

tl;dr... I just ran npm update npm -g before starting a new Node/Express project. When I run npm install for this project, npm installs a ton of new dependencies that aren't listed in my package.json folder. I've never even seen many of these before.

package.json file: http://puu.sh/khZm6/8233ab02a0.png
node_modules folder: http://puu.sh/khZid/a5eade9ce1.png

What's going on here -- why is npm installing all these dependencies and how do I fix this?

I even tested npm install on an older project from last week and it did similar behavior.

ps - someone mentioned that even dependencies need dependencies. like this? http://puu.sh/ki1GW/cfead489ef.png

Solution

Yes, those are dependencies of your dependencies. Think of it like a tree structure, with your project as the root node. Everything in the tree needs to be downloaded.