What is different between package and package lock json in Angular

In Angular (or any Node.js project), both package.json and package-lock.json 

1. package.json:

   • Purpose: Defines the project's metadata, including dependencies, scripts, and other configuration details.
   • Dependencies: Lists the package names and their version ranges (e.g., "lodash": "^4.17.21"), allowing for some flexibility in versions.
   • Modifications: Manually edited or updated when adding/removing dependencies or changing scripts.

2. package-lock.json:

   • Purpose: Ensures that the exact same versions of dependencies are installed across different environments. It locks the dependency tree and its versions.
   • Dependencies: Contains the exact versions of all dependencies and their sub-dependencies (e.g., "lodash": "4.17.21"). This file is automatically generated and updated by the package manager (npm or yarn) when installing or updating packages.
   • Modifications: Updated automatically whenever package.json is changed or when dependencies are installed/updated.

In summary, package.json provides a flexible definition of dependencies and configurations, while package-lock.json ensures consistent and reproducible installations by locking the versions of all dependencies.