The process package provides access to the Node.js process object, even in browser environments. It's a crucial dependency for many libraries that rely on Node.js-specific features, enabling cross-platform compatibility. This package includes functionalities like accessing environment variables, handling process exit codes, and interacting with standard input/output streams. Using process ensures a consistent API for interacting with the current running process, regardless of the execution environment. Common use cases include debugging, configuration management, and platform-specific branching.
The npm package "process" had sporadic releases between 2011 and 2017. Initial releases occurred in 2011 and 2013, with more frequent updates in 2014-2016, including multiple versions in some months (up to 3 in August 2016). The last release was in April 2017. No releases have occurred since then, showing a period of inactivity.
The npm package 'process' experienced fluctuating download numbers. Through 2024, downloads generally increased, peaking in October and November before declining slightly. 2025 started strong with over 100 million downloads each month, reaching a high in July, but has decreased in August and drastically in September (likely due to incomplete data).
