Stop wrestling with your code dependencies. Use Codependence!

Codependence is a JavaScript utility for checking dependencies to ensure they're up-to-date or match a specified version.

Main Usecase

Keep dependencies up-to-date

Codependence updates package.json's dependencies based on a "codependencies" array of dependency names. The difference from {npm,pnpm} update or yarn upgrade is Codependence allows you to pin what you want and update the rest! Furthermore, Codependence works with monorepos and is package manager agnostic.

*yes, dependencies can be pinned to ~ or ^ versions in package.json files!

Readme more about Codependence why you might want to use it below!

Usage

Codependence can be used as a standalone CLI, in npm scripts or, secondarily, as node utility!

Install

npm install codependence --save-dev

Quick setup

Pure CLI quick run

codependence --condependencies 'fs-extra' 'lodash'

Or use it with a config in the root package.json file

{
  "codependence": {
    "condependencies": ["fs-extra", "lodash"]
  },
  "scripts": {
    "update-codependencies": "codependence --update",
    "prepare": "npm run update-codependencies"
  }
}

Codependence as a CLI

Codependence is built as a CLI-first, set-it-and-forget-it tool.

It is recommendeded to install and setup Codependence as a devDependency within your root package.json and use a codependence.codependencies array to define dependencies you need to keep updated or pinned to a specific version.

Furthermore, you can add a codependence.codependencies array to child packages' package.json in your monorepo to ensure specific dependencies are pinned to a specific versions within your monorepo packages.

Usage: program [options]

Codependency, for code dependency. Checks `codependencies` in package.json files to ensure dependencies are up-to-date

Options:
  -f, --files [files...]                      file glob pattern
  -u, --update                                update dependencies based on check
  -r, --rootDir <rootDir>                     root directory to start search
  -i, --ignore [ignore...]                    ignore glob pattern
  --debug                                     enable debugging
  --silent                                    enable mainly silent logging
  -cds, --codependencies [codependencies...]  a path to a file with a codependenies object
  -c, --config <config>                       accepts a path to a config file
  -s, --searchPath <searchPath>               a search path string for locationing config files
  -h, --help                                  display help for command

Codependence in Node

Although, Codependence is built to primarily be a CLI utility, it can be used as a node utility.

import codependence from 'codependence'

const checkForUpdate = async () => {
  const isLatest = await codependence({ codependencies: ['fs-extra', 'lodash'] })
  if (!isLatest) {
    console.log('This repo is update-to-date')
  } else {
    console.error('This repo is not update-to-date')
  }
}
checkForUpdate()

Configuration Options

Codependence options can be used via CLI options, a config file read from the CLI, or with node by passing them into exported Codependence functions. Read more below!

codependencies: Array<string | Record<string, string>

A required option or *config array! Codependencies are required via being passed in an array as a cli option **or as within a codependence.codependencies array.

• The default value is undefined
• An array is required!

*Config Array Detail

The Codependence codependencies array supports latest out-of-the-box.

So having this ["fs-extra", "lodash"] will return the latest versions of the packages within the array. It will also match a specified version, like so [{ "foo": "1.0.0" }] and [{ "foo": "^1.0.0" }] or [{ "foo": "~1.0.0" }]. You can also include a * at the end of a name you would like to match. For example, @foo/* will match all packages with @foo/ in the name and return their latest versions. This will also work with foo-*, etc.

Codependence is built in to give you more capability to control your dependencies!

Using the codependence.codependencies array in Monorepo child packages

You can add a codependence.codependencies array to child packages in your monorepo to ensure specific dependencies are pinned to a specific different versions within your monorepo packages.

For example

You can have a package.json file in a @foo/bar package with following:

{
  "name": "@foo/bar",
  "dependencies": {
    "fs-extra": "^9.0.0",
  },
  "codependence": {
    "codependencies": [{ "fs-extra": "^9.0.0" }]
  }
}

And another package.json file in a @foo/baz package with following:

{
  "name": "@foo/baz",
  "dependencies": {
    "fs-extra": "^11.1.0",
  },
  "codependence": {
    "codependencies": [{ "fs-extra": "^11.1.0" }]
  }
}

Codependencies will install the right dependency version for each package in your monorepo!

Note: Codependencies can and will still install the expected version defined at the monorepo's root for packages that don't specify differences in their package.json files!

files: Array<string>

An optional array of strings to check for package.json files to update.

• The default value is ['package.json']
• This array accepts glob patterns as well, example ["package.json", "**/package.json"

update: boolean

An optional boolean which defines whether Codependence should update dependencies in package.json's or not.

• The default value is false

rootDir: string

An optional string which can used to specify the root directory to run checks from;

• The default value is "./"

ignore: Array<string>

An optional array of strings used to specify directories to ignore

• The default value is ["node_modules/**/*", "**/node_modules/**/*"]
• glob patterns are accepted

debug: boolean

An optional boolean value used to enable debugging output

• The default value is false

silent: boolean

An optional boolean value used to enable a more silent developer experience

• The default value is false

config: string

An optional string containing a package to file which contains codependence config.

• The default is undefined

searchPath: string

An optional string containing a search path for location config files.

• The default value is undefined

yarnConfig: boolean

An optional boolean value used to enable *yarn config checking

• The default value is false

Recipes

Listed below are some common patterns (recipes) for using Codependence.

Don't want a config? No problem!

Starting out, you may not want a config object. Have no fear, Codependence can be used as a CLI utility ONLY!

codependence --codependencies 'lodash' '{ \"fs-extra\": \"10.0.1\" }'

Want to grab all dependencies which match a <name>* (name star) pattern to return the latest version of them? Sure!

codependence --codependencies '@foo/*' --update

Synopsis

Codependence is a JavaScript utility CLI and node tool that compares a codependencies array against package.json dependencies, devDependencies, and peerDependencies for *codependencies.

For each dependency included in the codependencies array, Codependence will either a) check that versions are at latest or b) Check that a specified version is matched within package.json files. Codependence can either a) return a pass/fail result or b) update dependencies, devDependencies, and peerDependencies, in package.json file(s).

Codependence is useful for ensuring specified dependencies are up-to-date—or at a specified version within a project's package.json files(s)!

This utility is built to work alongside dependency management tools like dependabot. It could work instead of dependency management tool but is built for managing specific dependency versions vs all dependencies.

*Codependencies: are project dependencies which must be up-to-date or set to a specific version!

In example, if your repository requires the latest version and latest can't be specified as the dependency version within your package.json, Codependence will ensure your package.json has the actual latest semver version set in your package.json. It can/will do the same if an exact version is specified!

Why use Codependence?

Codependence is a utility tool focused on a single task—managing specified dependency versions!

• It is built to work along side tools (like Dependabot) but it can also manage dependencies fully!
• It handles monorepos child package dependencies with ease and without package manager bias!
• It is as immediate as you want it to be, via npm install scripts and build pipeline tools, such as Husky
• It can be run along with npm scripts or in github actions

Why not use Codependence?

Codependence isn't for everybody or every repository. Here are some reasons why it might not be for you!

• You don't need intricate dependency version management
• You prefer specifying necessary dependencies with latest, or manually pinning, or using a tool like Dependabot's ignore spec within a dependabot.yml.

Demos

Check out Codependence in Action!

• Codependence Cron: Codependence running off a Github Action cron job.
• Codependence Monorepo: Codependence monorepo example.

Codependence Debugging

private packages

If there is a .npmrc file, there is no issue with Codependence monitoring private packages. However, if a yarn config is used, Codependence must be instructed to run version checks differently.

Fixes

• With the CLI, add the --yarnConfig option.
• With node, add yarnConfig: true to your options or your config.
• For other private package issues, submit an issue or pull request.

Contributing

Contributing is straightforward.

Setup

nvm install && npm install pnpm && pnpm install

Issues

• Sprinkle some context
• Can you submit a pull request if needed?

Pull Requests

• Add a test (or a description of the test) that should be added
• Update the readme (if needed)
• Sprinkle some context in the pull request.
• Hope it's fun!

Thank you!

Roadmap

• Code:
  • add better spying/mocking (in progress)
  • add init cmd to cli
  • add utils functions to be executed with the cli cmd (monorepo, cadence, all deps)
• Demo Repos
  • monorepo: present how codependence can work to support monorepo updates (in progress)
  • cadence: present how cadence can be implemented with codependence
• Documentation
  • write recipes section after the demo repos are complete (in progress)

Shoutouts

Thanks to Dev Wells and Steve Cox for the aligned code leading to this project. Thanks Navid for some great insights to improve the api!

Made by @yowainwright, MIT 2022