# FAQ

## Why gulp? Why not ____?

See the [gulp introduction slideshow] for a rundown on how gulp came to be.

## Is it "gulp" or "Gulp"?

gulp is always lowercase. The only exception is in the gulp logo where gulp is capitalized.

## Where can I find a list of gulp plugins?

gulp plugins always include the `gulpplugin` keyword. [Search gulp plugins][search-gulp-plugins] or [view all plugins][npm plugin search].

## I want to write a gulp plugin, how do I get started?

See the [Writing a gulp plugin] wiki page for guidelines and an example to get you started.

## My plugin does ____, is it doing too much?

Probably. Ask yourself:

1. Is my plugin doing something that other plugins may need to do?
  - If so, that piece of functionality should be a separate plugin. [Check if it already exists on npm][npm plugin search].
1. Is my plugin doing two, completely different things based on a configuration option?
  - If so, it may serve the community better to release it as two separate plugins
  - If the two tasks are different, but very closely related, it's probably OK

## How should newlines be represented in plugin output?

Always use `\n` to prevent diff issues between operating systems.

## I installed gulp as a dependency from package.json file by running `npm install` but I keep getting `command not found` whenever I try running a gulp command, why doesn't it work?

Upon installing gulp as a project dependency, you need to add that to your PATH environment variable so that when you run a command, the system can find it. An easy solution is to install gulp globally, so that its binaries end up in your PATH environment variable. To install gulp globally, use the command `npm install gulp-cli -g`

## Where can I get updates on gulp?

gulp updates can be found on the following twitters:

- [@wearefractal](https://twitter.com/wearefractal)
- [@eschoff](https://twitter.com/eschoff)
- [@gulpjs](https://twitter.com/gulpjs)

## Does gulp have an chat channel?

Yes, come chat with us on [Gitter](https://gitter.im/gulpjs/gulp).

[Writing a gulp plugin]: writing-a-plugin/README.md
[gulp introduction slideshow]: https://slid.es/contra/gulp
[Freenode]: https://freenode.net/
[search-gulp-plugins]: https://gulpjs.com/plugins/
[npm plugin search]: https://npmjs.org/browse/keyword/gulpplugin