how to run npm command in certain dir, instead of the current dir

To run an npm command in a specific directory without changing your current working directory in the terminal, you can use the following methods:

1. Change directory within the command itself:
   You can prepend cd to your npm command and use && to chain commands together. This will change the directory just for the execution of the npm command.

   cd /path/to/your/dir && npm your_command
   

   For example, to install dependencies listed in package.json in a certain directory:

   cd /path/to/your/dir && npm install
   

2. Use the command line to execute a subshell:
   You can use parentheses to create a subshell in which you change the directory and run the npm command. This keeps your current shell's working directory unchanged.

   (cd /path/to/your/dir && npm your_command)
   

3. Use the npm --prefix flag:
   The --prefix flag allows you to specify the directory in which you want to run the npm command without changing directories.

   npm --prefix /path/to/your/dir your_command
   

   For example, to run npm install in a specific directory:

   npm --prefix /path/to/your/dir install
   

   Note that not all npm commands support the --prefix option, so check the specific command documentation if you encounter issues.

Choose the method that best fits your use case or scripting needs. The first two methods are more general and can be used with any command, while the --prefix option is specific to npm and may not work with all commands.