@rodbe/check-updates

TypeScript utility that checks your local npm packages against the registry and prompts users to update — with smart caching to avoid unnecessary network requests.

✨ Features

• 🔍 Version detection — fetches the latest version of any npm package from the registry
• ⚡ Smart caching — avoids repeated network calls using configurable TTL intervals
• 💬 Interactive prompt — asks the user before installing anything
• 📦 Auto install — runs the install command automatically when the user accepts
• 🔔 Lifecycle callbacks — hooks for success and error after the install attempt

📦 Installation

npm install @rodbe/check-updates --save

🚀 Usage

import { dirname, join } from 'node:path';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';

import { checkUpdates } from '@rodbe/check-updates';

// → ./dist/ (compiled output directory)
const distPath = join(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)));

const updateChecker = checkUpdates({
  packageJsonPath: join(distPath, '..', 'package.json'), // → ./package.json
  isGlobal: true,
});

// Checks the registry, prompts the user, and installs if accepted
await updateChecker.checkNewVersion();

⚙️ Configuration Options

| Option | Type | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---| | packageJsonPath | string | Required | Path to the package.json of the package to check | | askToUpdate | boolean | true | Whether to prompt the user before installing | | isGlobal | boolean | true | Install the package globally (npm install -g) | | updateCheckInterval | number | 604800000 (1 week) | How often to check the registry for a new version, in ms | | dontAskCheckInterval | number | 86400000 (1 day) | How long to suppress the prompt after the user declines, in ms | | updateQuestion | string | 'Heey! Before, do you want to get the latest version? 🔥' | Custom message shown in the update prompt | | cbOnSuccess | () => void | undefined | Callback invoked after a successful installation | | cbOnError | () => void | undefined | Callback invoked when the installation fails | | debug | boolean | false | Runs npm -v instead of the real install command — useful during local development |

📖 API

checkNewVersion(): Promise<void>

Checks the npm registry for a newer version. If one is found (and the cache TTL has expired), it prompts the user. The user can accept to install or decline — if declined, the prompt is suppressed until dontAskCheckInterval elapses.

update(): void

Runs the install command immediately without any prompt. Calls cbOnSuccess on success or cbOnError on failure.

🔧 Advanced usage

import { dirname, join } from 'node:path';
import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';

import { checkUpdates } from '@rodbe/check-updates';

const distPath = join(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)));

const updateChecker = checkUpdates({
  packageJsonPath: join(distPath, '..', 'package.json'),
  isGlobal: true,
  askToUpdate: true,
  updateCheckInterval: 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000, // check once a week
  dontAskCheckInterval: 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000,    // suppress prompt for 1 day after decline
  updateQuestion: 'Do you want to upgrade to the latest version now?',
  cbOnSuccess: () => console.log('Package updated successfully!'),
  cbOnError: () => console.error('Something went wrong during the update.'),
});

// Check and prompt automatically
await updateChecker.checkNewVersion();

// Or trigger the update directly, skipping the prompt
updateChecker.update();

📄 License

MIT