→ Runs npm install and then symlinks the current module into your globals
→ If thing is already in globals, unlink it.
→ Change to /path/to/thing, run npm link, change back and symlink global to node_modules folder
→ If thing is not yet in globals, install it.
→ Symlink global to node_modules folder
→ Run npm install -g thing@version
→ Symlink global to node_modules folder
→ If thing is not installed globally, run npm install -g thing or npm install -g /path/to/thing as the case may be.
→ Symlink global to node_modules folder
Notice how this differs from npm link /path/to/thing as that will result in your local copy of thing being a link to /path/to/thing. Where as npm install --link /path/to/thing will install /path/to/thing globally as a copy, and then link that COPY to node_modules/thing
→ If thing is not installed globally, works just like the unversioned install.
→ If thing is installed globally and is the same version, it again works just like an unversioned install.
→ If thing is installed globally and is NOT the same version, it will be installed locally unlinked.