dler add

Add dependencies to package.json files with intelligent catalog support and workspace-aware dependency management.

Usage

dler add <package> [package2...] [options]

The add command intelligently adds dependencies to package.json files in monorepo workspaces. It supports catalog-based dependency management, automatic version resolution, and can target specific workspace packages.

Options

Target Selection

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--target <packages>`	`-t`	string	Target workspace package(s). Use '.' for current directory package. Supports multiple packages (space-separated) and glob patterns.
`--package <packages>`		string	Alias for `--target`
`--pkg <packages>`		string	Alias for `--target`
`--w`		boolean	Add dependency to root package.json

Catalog Options

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--catalog [name]`	`-c`	string \| boolean	Use catalog mode. Can be 'true', 'false', or a catalog name (e.g., 'testing'). Default: true

Dependency Scope

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--scope <type>`	`-s`	`'dev' \| 'prod' \| 'peer' \| 'optional'`	Dependency scope
`--dev`	`-D`	boolean	Add as devDependency
`--prod`	`-P`	boolean	Add as dependency
`--peer`	`-R`	boolean	Add as peerDependency
`--optional`	`-O`	boolean	Add as optionalDependency

Version Control

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--prefix <prefix>`	`-p`	string	Version prefix (default: '^')

Other Options

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--install`	`-i`	boolean	Run install after adding dependencies (default: true)
`--cwd <path>`		string	Working directory (monorepo root)
`--dry-run`	`-n`	boolean	Show what would be done without making changes
`--verbose`	`-v`	boolean	Verbose output

Examples

Basic usage

# Add a single dependency
dler add lodash

# Add multiple dependencies
dler add react react-dom

# Add with specific version
dler add typescript@latest

Dependency scopes

# Add as dev dependency
dler add typescript --dev
# or
dler add typescript -D

# Add as peer dependency
dler add react --peer

# Add as optional dependency
dler add some-optional-pkg --optional

Target specific packages

# Add to specific workspace package
dler add lodash --target @scope/ui

# Add to multiple packages
dler add lodash --target "@scope/ui @scope/utils"

# Add to current directory package
dler add lodash --target .

# Add to root package.json
dler add lodash --w

Catalog mode

# Use catalog mode (default)
dler add lodash --catalog

# Use specific catalog
dler add lodash --catalog testing

# Disable catalog mode
dler add lodash --catalog false

Advanced usage

# Add with custom version prefix
dler add lodash --prefix "~"

# Dry run to see what would happen
dler add lodash --dry-run

# Verbose output
dler add lodash --verbose

# Don't install after adding
dler add lodash --no-install

Catalog Support

When catalog mode is enabled (default), dler looks for catalog configurations in your workspace root. Catalogs allow you to define version ranges for commonly used dependencies.

Example catalog configuration in package.json:

{
  "catalog": {
    "lodash": "^4.17.0",
    "typescript": "^5.0.0"
  },
  "catalog:testing": {
    "jest": "^29.0.0"
  }
}

Package Specifications

You can specify package versions directly:

# Specific version
dler add lodash@4.17.21

# Version range
dler add lodash@^4.17.0

# Tag
dler add typescript@next

Workspace Support

In monorepo environments, dler automatically detects workspace packages and can target specific ones:

Use --target to specify which packages should receive the dependency
Use glob patterns for targeting multiple packages: --target "@scope/*"
Use . to target the current directory's package
Use --w to target the workspace root

Error Handling

The command provides helpful error messages and tips:

Validates package names
Checks for valid project structure
Provides suggestions for common issues
Supports dry-run mode for safe testing

Requirements

Bun runtime: This command requires Bun to be available
Valid project: Must be run in a directory with package.json or in a monorepo root

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