npm workspaces

Learn monorepos with npm workspaces.

npm workspaces

npm workspaces is npm 7+'s built-in monorepo support. It is similar to Yarn workspaces; you add a workspaces field to the root package.json. npm install sets up all packages in one command.

Commands: npm run build --workspaces (build in all packages), npm install <pkg> -w apps/mobile (add a dependency to a specific package). A symlink is set up like in Yarn.

Yarn vs npm

Yarn and npm workspaces are similar concepts; both use workspaces in the root package.json. Differences: Yarn uses yarn workspaces run, npm uses the --workspaces flag. Plug-and-play (PnP) is Yarn-only.

The choice depends on team habit. Speed benchmarks keep changing; both are actively developed. What matters is consistency: do not mix them in one project.

Exercise Add an npm workspaces script

Add a scripts field to a root package.json. It should contain "build": "npm run build --workspaces".

Show example solution

{
  "name": "my-monorepo",
  "private": true,
  "workspaces": ["apps/*", "packages/*"],
  "scripts": {
    "build": "npm run build --workspaces"
  }
}

Test yourself

Match the npm workspaces commands

npm install

Installs deps
--workspaces

All packages
-w apps/mobile

Single package
npm run build

Runs build
From which npm version is npm workspaces built in?
- Only npm 1
- Only npm 3
- npm 7 and later
- No version
Show answer

Only npm 1 — npm workspaces came with npm 7.

Write the package path for the dependency add

npm install lodash -w ____

Show answer

npm install lodash -w apps/mobile

Next lesson: Turborepo

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