--- /dev/null
+npm(3) -- javascript package manager
+====================================
+
+## SYNOPSIS
+
+ var npm = require("npm")
+ npm.load([configObject, ]function (er, npm) {
+ // use the npm object, now that it's loaded.
+
+ npm.config.set(key, val)
+ val = npm.config.get(key)
+
+ console.log("prefix = %s", npm.prefix)
+
+ npm.commands.install(["package"], cb)
+ })
+
+## VERSION
+
+@VERSION@
+
+## DESCRIPTION
+
+This is the API documentation for npm.
+To find documentation of the command line
+client, see `npm(1)`.
+
+Prior to using npm's commands, `npm.load()` must be called. If you provide
+`configObject` as an object map of top-level configs, they override the values
+stored in the various config locations. In the npm command line client, this
+set of configs is parsed from the command line options. Additional
+configuration params are loaded from two configuration files. See
+`npm-config(1)`, `npm-config(7)`, and `npmrc(5)` for more information.
+
+After that, each of the functions are accessible in the
+commands object: `npm.commands.<cmd>`. See `npm-index(7)` for a list of
+all possible commands.
+
+All commands on the command object take an **array** of positional argument
+**strings**. The last argument to any function is a callback. Some
+commands take other optional arguments.
+
+Configs cannot currently be set on a per function basis, as each call to
+npm.config.set will change the value for *all* npm commands in that process.
+
+To find API documentation for a specific command, run the `npm apihelp`
+command.
+
+## METHODS AND PROPERTIES
+
+* `npm.load(configs, cb)`
+
+ Load the configuration params, and call the `cb` function once the
+ globalconfig and userconfig files have been loaded as well, or on
+ nextTick if they've already been loaded.
+
+* `npm.config`
+
+ An object for accessing npm configuration parameters.
+
+ * `npm.config.get(key)`
+ * `npm.config.set(key, val)`
+ * `npm.config.del(key)`
+
+* `npm.dir` or `npm.root`
+
+ The `node_modules` directory where npm will operate.
+
+* `npm.prefix`
+
+ The prefix where npm is operating. (Most often the current working
+ directory.)
+
+* `npm.cache`
+
+ The place where npm keeps JSON and tarballs it fetches from the
+ registry (or uploads to the registry).
+
+* `npm.tmp`
+
+ npm's temporary working directory.
+
+* `npm.deref`
+
+ Get the "real" name for a command that has either an alias or
+ abbreviation.
+
+## MAGIC
+
+For each of the methods in the `npm.commands` object, a method is added to the
+npm object, which takes a set of positional string arguments rather than an
+array and a callback.
+
+If the last argument is a callback, then it will use the supplied
+callback. However, if no callback is provided, then it will print out
+the error or results.
+
+For example, this would work in a node repl:
+
+ > npm = require("npm")
+ > npm.load() // wait a sec...
+ > npm.install("dnode", "express")
+
+Note that that *won't* work in a node program, since the `install`
+method will get called before the configuration load is completed.
+
+## ABBREVS
+
+In order to support `npm ins foo` instead of `npm install foo`, the
+`npm.commands` object has a set of abbreviations as well as the full
+method names. Use the `npm.deref` method to find the real name.
+
+For example:
+
+ var cmd = npm.deref("unp") // cmd === "unpublish"