Use corepack to define the current packageManager

[cesarlightit]

Define packageManager in package.json

Purpose

Setting the packageManager field in the package.json file of a project ensures consistent dependency management across all environments where the project is run. This field explicitly specifies the package manager (e.g., npm, yarn, pnpm) and version to be used, which helps prevent issues caused by differences in package managers and versions that could otherwise lead to conflicts, inconsistencies, or unexpected behavior in the project.

Importance

• Environment Consistency: When collaborators or CI/CD pipelines install dependencies, they will use the exact same package manager and version, minimizing “works on my machine” issues.
• Dependency Resolution: Different package managers and versions can handle dependency resolution differently, impacting the structure of the node_modules folder. By defining the package manager, you ensure predictable and reproducible dependency installations.
• Compatibility with Lock Files: Specifying the package manager aligns with lock files (e.g., package-lock.json for npm, yarn.lock for Yarn), ensuring they are used with the appropriate package manager, which can avoid errors in dependency integrity checks.

Setup for a new project

Each new project should define the package manager in the package.json file. To configure the package.json with the latest stable version of pnpm run the following command in the root of the project.

corepack use pnpm@latest

Working with a corepack defined project

Clone a fresh copy of the project from a repository

git clone repo

Ensure you have corepack enabled

corepack enable

Install NodeJS, the defined package manager and the project dependencies

cd repo
nvm install
pnpm install

Once corepack is enabled, it will function as a yarn or pnpm proxy. When trying to run any of these package managers, NodeJS will attempt to download the defined version before running it. Global installations of these tools will not be taken into account while corepack is enabled.

[walt-it]

Great initiative! Only thing I would that note is that if we move forward, we should remember to add the instructions to the boilerplate README.

[cesarlightit]

Great initiative! Only thing I would that note is that if we move forward, we should remember to add the instructions to the boilerplate README.

I made some changes to the documentation.

[ThunderNaka]

Looks great!