An example npm-based library and an example npm-based program that consumes it.
This example project is laid out across two directories:
animals-library/- This directory defines a traditional library. It is meant to be published to a software registry (npm) and consumed by other libraries or by a runnable program. The library just lists some animal names.
forest-program/- This directory defines a runnable program. It depends on
animals-libraryvia the npmdependenciesblock. It tells a short story about animals living in a forest.
- This directory defines a runnable program. It depends on
Both animals-library and forest-program are standalone npm projects. That is, they:
- Define a
package.json - They have their own README and instructions
- They can be developed independently of each other
In fact, pretend that these projects exist in separate Git repositories and that they are maintained by different people. Most "software library to consuming software program" relationships are like that. Read each of the subprojects in depth.
This project is important to me because it's a runnable reference example of a software library and depending software program in the npm ecosystem. All software toolchains have bespoke implementations and peculiar limitations. Think about Gradle, npm, Rust/Cargo, Go/GoModules, Python/pip/pipenv/venv, etc. It's impossible to memorize the trivia required to build and run software using these toolchains. It's necessary to have understandable reference examples.
Look at the sibling projects like npm-library-rollup/ and npm-library-typescript/ for more working examples of other
combinations of software toolchains like Rollup and the TypeScript compiler: tsc.
General clean-ups, TODOs and things I wish to implement for this project:
- DONE How do you make it so that I can do
import {animals} from 'animals-library'instead ofimport {animals} from 'animals-library/dist/animals.mjs'?- See Subpath exports