NODE_PATH throws error when NPM starts on windows 10

Question

I am trying to built a MEAN Todo app by following https://github.com/michaelcheng429/super-mean-stack

package.json

{
 "name": "ToDoThoughts",
 "version": "1.0.0",
 "description": "",
 "main": "index.js",
 "scripts": {
   "start": "NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server",
   "dev": "npm start & webpack-dev-server --progress --colors"
 },
 "license": "ISC",
 "dependencies": {
   "angular": "1.4.12",
   "angular-ui-router": "0.3.1",
   "body-parser": "1.15.2",
   "bootstrap": "3.3.7",
   "express": "4.14.0"
 },
 "devDependencies": {
   "babel-core": "6.17.0",
   "babel-preset-es2015": "6.16.0",
   "raw-loader": "0.5.1",
   "webpack": "1.13.2",
   "webpack-dev-server": "1.16.2"
 },
 "engines": {
   "node": "5.5.0"
 }
}

I am getting error when i run the command "npm run dev" in the command prompt. I have also attached npm.debug.log

> [email protected] start C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts
> NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server

'NODE_PATH' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

npm ERR! Windows_NT 10.0.14393
npm ERR! argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\Selva\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "start"
npm ERR! node v6.5.0
npm ERR! npm  v3.10.8
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! [email protected] start: `NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the [email protected] start script 'NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server'.
npm ERR! Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
npm ERR! If you do, this is most likely a problem with the ToDoThoughts package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server
npm ERR! You can get information on how to open an issue for this project with:
npm ERR!     npm bugs ToDoThoughts
npm ERR! Or if that isn't available, you can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls ToDoThoughts
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts\npm-debug.log

npm.debug.log

0 info it worked if it ends with ok
1 verbose cli [ 'C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe',
1 verbose cli   'C:\\Users\\Selva\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js',
1 verbose cli   'start' ]
2 info using [email protected]
3 info using [email protected]
4 verbose run-script [ 'prestart', 'start', 'poststart' ]
5 info lifecycle [email protected]~prestart: [email protected]
6 silly lifecycle [email protected]~prestart: no script for prestart, continuing
7 info lifecycle [email protected]~start: [email protected]
8 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: unsafe-perm in lifecycle true
9 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: PATH: C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\bin\node-gyp-bin;C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts\node_modules\.bin;C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\bin\node-gyp-bin;C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts\node_modules\.bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\iCLS Client\;C:\Program Files\Intel\iCLS Client\;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\DAL;C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\IPT;C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Management Engine Components\IPT;C:\Program Files\Intel\WiFi\bin\;C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intel\WirelessCommon\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Skype\Phone\;C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin;C:\Program Files\nodejs\;C:\Program Files\Git\cmd;C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Roaming\npm;C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Local\atom\bin;C:\Program Files\Git\bin;C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts
10 verbose lifecycle [email protected]~start: CWD: C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts
11 silly lifecycle [email protected]~start: Args: [ '/d /s /c', 'NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server' ]
12 silly lifecycle [email protected]~start: Returned: code: 1  signal: null
13 info lifecycle [email protected]~start: Failed to exec start script
14 verbose stack Error: [email protected] start: `NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server`
14 verbose stack Exit status 1
14 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\utils\lifecycle.js:255:16)
14 verbose stack     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
14 verbose stack     at EventEmitter.emit (events.js:191:7)
14 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (C:\Users\Selva\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\utils\spawn.js:40:14)
14 verbose stack     at emitTwo (events.js:106:13)
14 verbose stack     at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:191:7)
14 verbose stack     at maybeClose (internal/child_process.js:877:16)
14 verbose stack     at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:226:5)
15 verbose pkgid [email protected]
16 verbose cwd C:\Projects\ToDoThoughts
17 error Windows_NT 10.0.14393
18 error argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\Selva\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "start"
19 error node v6.5.0
20 error npm  v3.10.8
21 error code ELIFECYCLE
22 error [email protected] start: `NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server`
22 error Exit status 1
23 error Failed at the [email protected] start script 'NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server'.
23 error Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
23 error If you do, this is most likely a problem with the ToDoThoughts package,
23 error not with npm itself.
23 error Tell the author that this fails on your system:
23 error     NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app  node server
23 error You can get information on how to open an issue for this project with:
23 error     npm bugs ToDoThoughts
23 error Or if that isn't available, you can get their info via:
23 error     npm owner ls ToDoThoughts
23 error There is likely additional logging output above.
24 verbose exit [ 1, true ]

Answer 1

NPM scripts are executed in the shell from which NPM was invoked.

NODE_PATH=$NODE_PATH:./app node server will not behave correctly if you're using the command prompt or Powershell on Windows. If you already have Git installed, then you should use Git Bash which should already be available.

Otherwise, you might install the MSYS' or Cygwin's Bash shell.