This post is an insight on npm for those of you who have a maven background.
In the Java/maven world, you build a source code to a jar, then you push your jar to Nexus. All of this is done using maven.
Eventually, your deployment tool retrieves your jar from where it was stored in Nexus, and delivers it to whatever environment it targeted.
Now I'm working on an Angular project and have a hard time, putting all the pieces together.
I understand I can publish my Angular project to an npm repository in Nexus. But what I will publish here will be an npm package, including a package.json file.
I understand I can build my Angular project to a /dist folder, and deliver this folder to an environment.
But now, I don't understand how it all make sense: with my maven background, I'm expecting to use npm to push the content of the /dist to Nexus!
What am I missing here? What are the good practices in this domain?
After some research here is my understanding of the subject:
Once compiled using ng build your Angular project is no longer an npm project but a static web site.
You may no longer manage (in this case: "deploy" to Nexus) your project using npm like you would do with maven.
As such (quoting jonrsharpe's comment) you may zip the content of the /dist folder produced by ng build to distribute it.
At this point, if you wish to push it to a Nexus repository, you may use maven deploy plugin. But then your web site would be pushed to a maven repository.
Bottom line: it all depends on what you need to do.
I hope this helps.