Import maps don't work for mapping npm dependencies of npm packages

[oscarotero]

Version: Deno 1.42.4

I'm trying to replace a npm dependency using import maps, but suprisingly it doesn't seem to work.
Let's say I have this code:

// main.ts

import * as foo from "npm:[email protected]";

If I run deno info main.ts I have the following dependency graph:

file:///Users/oscarotero/test/main.ts (44B)
└─┬ npm:/[email protected] (54.64KB)
  ├─┬ npm:/[email protected] (48.08KB)
  │ └─┬ npm:/[email protected] (15.97KB)
  │   └─┬ npm:/[email protected] (22.4KB)
  │     └── npm:/[email protected] (9.39KB)
  └── npm:/[email protected] (87.84KB)

To replace [email protected] with another version, say [email protected], I add a new entry in the import map:

{
  "imports": {
    "npm:[email protected]": "npm:[email protected]",
  },
}

But after running deno info main.ts again, I see the same result without any change.
I tried different ways without luck:

{
  "imports": {
    "npm:[email protected]": "npm:[email protected]",
    "npm:braces@^3.0.2": "npm:[email protected]",
    "braces": "npm:[email protected]"
  },
  "scopes": {
    "npm:[email protected]": {
      "npm:braces@^3.0.2": "npm:[email protected]",
      "braces": "npm:[email protected]"
    }
  }
}

I saw this issue #23310 and from I understand, I have to enable the unstable byonm feature. So I added it to my deno.json file:

{
  "unstable": ["byonm"],
  "imports": {
    "npm:[email protected]": "npm:[email protected]",
    "npm:braces@^3.0.2": "npm:[email protected]",
    "braces": "npm:[email protected]"
  },
  "scopes": {
    "npm:[email protected]": {
      "npm:braces@^3.0.2": "npm:[email protected]",
      "braces": "npm:[email protected]"
    }
  }
}

Now I have the following error:

file:///Users/oscarotero/test/main.ts (44B)
└── Could not find a matching package for 'npm:[email protected]' in '/Users/oscarotero/test/package.json'. You must specify this as a package.json dependency when the node_modules folder is not managed by Deno. (resolve error)

I don't understand what it means. Should I create a package.json file with this? Anyway, I did it:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "micromatch": "4.0.5"
  }
}

And now I have the following error:

file:///Users/oscarotero/test/main.ts (44B)
└── Could not find '/Users/oscarotero/test/node_modules/micromatch/package.json'. Deno expects the node_modules/ directory to be up to date. Did you forget to run `npm install`? (resolve error)

As far as I understand, I have to install the package with NPM? What's the point of that? Anyway, I run npm i and then deno info main.ts again, which returns the following error:

file:///Users/oscarotero/test/main.ts (44B)
├── file:///Users/oscarotero/test/node_modules/micromatch/index.js (unknown)
└── Failed resolving package subpath for 'npm:[email protected]' in '/Users/oscarotero/test/node_modules/micromatch'. (resolve error)

And now I'm lost. Any idea how to make it work?

[dsherret]

This is tracked in #18191 (Import maps currently can't be used to change dependencies of npm packages, but yeah, byonm would be the way to do this atm)

I opened #23507 for the other issue you mentioned.