dler update

Update all dependencies to their latest versions across all package.json files with intelligent filtering and batch processing.

Usage

dler update [options]

The update command finds all package.json files in your workspace and updates dependencies to their latest versions. It supports selective updates with glob patterns, comprehensive filtering options, and works across monorepo and single-repo setups.

Philosophy

"Find all package.json files, update everything you find, skip only non-updateable specifiers (workspace:, catalog:, npm:, etc.)"

Options

Update Control

Option	Type	Description
`--name <patterns>`	string	Specific dependencies to update, supports glob patterns (e.g. '@types/', 'react'). Can be specified multiple times or comma-separated.
`--ignore <patterns>`	string	Dependencies to exclude from updates, supports glob patterns (e.g. 'eslint-', '@types/')
`--allow-major`	boolean	Allow major version updates (default: true)
`--ignore-fields <fields>`	string	Dependency fields to ignore (e.g., 'peerDependencies,catalog')

Behavior Control

Option	Short	Type	Description
`--ci`		boolean	Run in CI mode (non-interactive)
`--cwd <path>`		string	Working directory
`--dry-run`	`-n`	boolean	Preview updates without making changes
`--install`	`-i`	boolean	Run install after updating (default: true)
`--details`	`-d`	boolean	Show detailed dependency information
`--verbose`	`-v`	boolean	Verbose output (shows install command output)

Examples

Basic usage

# Update all dependencies in all package.json files
dler update

# Preview what would be updated
dler update --dry-run

# Update with detailed information
dler update --details

Selective updates

# Update only specific packages
dler update --name "react,react-dom"

# Update packages matching glob patterns
dler update --name "@types/*"

# Update multiple patterns
dler update --name "eslint-*" --name "prettier-*"

# Exclude specific packages
dler update --ignore "eslint-*" --ignore "@types/*"

Advanced usage

# Update only in current directory
dler update --cwd .

# Skip installation after update
dler update --no-install

# Verbose output
dler update --verbose

# Ignore certain dependency fields
dler update --ignore-fields "peerDependencies,catalog"

CI/CD usage

# Non-interactive mode for CI
dler update --ci

# Dry run for CI validation
dler update --dry-run --ci

Update Behavior

Version Specifiers

The command intelligently handles different version specifier types:

Updatable: ^1.0.0, ~1.0.0, 1.0.0, latest
Skipped: workspace:*, catalog:*, npm:*, file:*, git+ssh://...

Dependency Fields

By default, updates all dependency fields:

dependencies
devDependencies
peerDependencies
optionalDependencies

Use --ignore-fields to exclude specific fields from updates.

Major Version Updates

Default: Major updates are allowed (--allow-major is true by default)
Safety: The command respects semantic versioning and only suggests updates that are likely safe

Scope Detection

Monorepo Mode

Automatically finds all package.json files in the workspace
Processes packages in parallel for optimal performance
Updates dependencies across all packages simultaneously

Single-repo Mode

Limits scope to the current directory if it contains a package.json
Faster processing for smaller projects

Output Formats

Standard Output

Shows a summary of updates per package.json file:

Updated 3 dependencies in packages/ui/package.json: react→18.2.0, react-dom→18.2.0, lodash→4.17.21
Updated 1 dependency in packages/utils/package.json: typescript→5.0.2

Detailed Output (`--details`)

Shows comprehensive information including:

Current version
Latest version
Version specifiers
Update status
Error information

Verbose Output (`--verbose`)

Includes installation command output and additional processing information.

Caching

The command uses persistent caching to optimize performance:

Caches package registry information
Reduces API calls for repeated updates
Automatically manages cache lifecycle

Error Handling

Graceful failures: Individual file failures don't stop the entire process
Detailed errors: Shows specific error information for failed updates
Recovery: Continues processing other files even if some fail

Requirements

Bun runtime: This command requires Bun to be available
Network access: Needs internet access to check package registries
Valid package.json: Must have at least one valid package.json file

Performance

Parallel processing: Updates multiple files concurrently
Batch operations: Optimizes registry API calls
Smart filtering: Only processes relevant dependencies
Caching: Reduces redundant network requests

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