On: TypeScript NPM Packages Done Right

[wuiheerfoj]

Perhaps I’m missing something, but when I’ve done this in the past, I get weird package resolution because my index.js isn’t in the root (`npm publish` publishes the root and doesn’t support alternate paths to my knowledge) - in the end people have to `import x from “mylib/dist”`.

I got round this with some funky step where I copy the package.json into the dist folder and rewrite some paths. Is there a better way to do this?

[paulddraper → wuiheerfoj]

You can specify those exports in package.json.

  {
    "exports": "dist/index.js"
  }

or

  {
    "exports": {
      ".": "dist/index.js",
      "./*": "dist/*.js"
    }
  }

https://nodejs.org/api/packages.html#subpath-exports

Many packages do this.

[paulddraper → paulddraper]

EDIT: main and module properties are precursors to exports. exports is the recommended replacement.

[rattray → paulddraper]

Note that jest before v27, and some other runtimes, don't support export maps.

[paulddraper → rattray]

Jest and every other major runtime/bundler has supported exports for a couple years.

I.e. if you're releasing a package today, you probably don't have to worry about support.

[rattray → paulddraper]

A package I help maintain was released about a month ago, and we've had bug reports related to this: https://github.com/openai/openai-node/issues/304#issuecommen...

We simply chose to mark Jest 27 as unsupported in this case, but it did cost some debugging time.

[joshmanders → wuiheerfoj]

You can use subpath exports like paulddraper suggested or in your `main` key in `package.json` you just point to whatever file you want to be served when `import X from 'Y'`.

It doesn't have to be `index.js` in the root of your package. That's the fallback if no `main` or subpath exports exist in `package.json`

[iainmerrick → wuiheerfoj]

It should work as you expect if you set “main” to “dist/index.js” in your package.json. If you tried that, some other strange thing must have been going wrong. Your workaround sounds fine but ideally you shouldn’t need it, yeah.

[herpdyderp → wuiheerfoj]

You missed a step in this article’s package.json. The “main” (or “module” for ESM) property defines the entry point. I’ve published dozens of packages and they all point to dist/index.js with zero issues.

[ashu1461 → wuiheerfoj]

Yup, we have a script which does exactly the same, copies to the main folder and then pushes.

[vinnymac → wuiheerfoj]

I’ve experienced this as well.

For some projects I just configure publishConfig.directory directly at the dist folder.

While this may not look as clean, it is a lot easier for me to manage everything that’s published under a single directory.