lib/helpers/npm.js
function (app, callback) {
    var appPath = pathExtra.resolve(npmHelpers.initialWd, app);
    var manifestPath = pathExtra.join(appPath, 'package.json');

    if (fs.existsSync(appPath) && fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
      fs.readFile(manifestPath, function checkError (err, manifest) {
        if (err) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else {
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err, JSON.parse(manifest), 'file');
        }
      });
    } else {
      var client = request.newClient('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/');
      /* Checking if a branch of the github repo is specified
       * within the application path parameter (separated with a @).
       */
      if (app.indexOf('@') > 1) {
        // if a branch is specified, we build the url with it.
        var manifestUrl = app.split('@')[0] + '/' + app.split('@')[1] +  '/package.json';
      } else {
        // if no branch is specified, we build the url with master branch.
        var manifestUrl = app + '/master/package.json';
      }
      console.log(manifestUrl);

      client.get(manifestUrl, function (err, res, manifest) {
        if (err) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else {
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err, manifest, 'url');
        }
      });
    }
  }
function (app, callback) {
    var appPath = pathExtra.resolve(npmHelpers.initialWd, app);
    var manifestPath = pathExtra.join(appPath, 'package.json');

    if (fs.existsSync(appPath) && fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
      fs.readFile(manifestPath, function checkError (err, manifest) {
        if (err) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else {
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err, JSON.parse(manifest), 'file');
        }
      });
    } else {
      var client = request.newClient('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/');
      /* Checking if a branch of the github repo is specified
       * within the application path parameter (separated with a @).
       */
      if (app.indexOf('@') > 1) {
        // if a branch is specified, we build the url with it.
        var manifestUrl = app.split('@')[0] + '/' + app.split('@')[1] +  '/package.json';
      } else {
        // if no branch is specified, we build the url with master branch.
        var manifestUrl = app + '/master/package.json';
      }
      console.log(manifestUrl);

      client.get(manifestUrl, function (err, res, manifest) {
        if (err) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
          logger.error(err);
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err);
        } else {
          nodeHelpers.invoke(callback, err, manifest, 'url');
        }
      });
    }
  }
Fetch application or plugin manifest from an url or a path

@param {String} app App or Plugin name to fetch from url or path.
@param {Function} callback Termination.