fix: don't preserve symlinks so we can resolve npm deps in the symlinked node_modules tree

[gregmagolan]

Don't preserve symlinks since doing so breaks node_modules resolution in the pnpm-style symlinked node_modules structure. See https://pnpm.io/symlinked-node-modules-structure.

NB: esbuild will currently leave the sandbox and end up in the output tree until symlink guards are created to prevent this. See #32.

[matthewjh]

@gregmagolan can you also copy the srcs to a directory and then run esbuild on the files in the directory? When using rules_esbuild, plus preserveSymlinks = False, with rules_ts, esbuild will prefer the .ts files copied into the bindir by rules_ts over .js files intended as inputs, after it follows the symlinks into the bindir.

I had weird bugs from this as esbuild then performs its own typescript transpilation, potentially under a different config depending on which tsconfig, if any, it picks up. My solution was to copy the esbuild srcs to a dir, but I think most people would need this. Of course, this would be removed once the guards are in place.

[gregmagolan]

@gregmagolan can you also copy the srcs to a directory and then run esbuild on the files in the directory? When using rules_esbuild, plus preserveSymlinks = False, with rules_ts, esbuild will prefer the .ts files copied into the bindir by rules_ts over .js files intended as inputs, after it follows the symlinks into the bindir.

I had weird bugs from this as esbuild then performs its own typescript transpilation, potentially under a different config depending on which tsconfig, if any, it picks up. My solution was to copy the esbuild srcs to a dir, but I think most people would need this. Of course, this would be removed once the guards are in place.

Right. I recall @mattem mentioning something like this in the past. Seems like something we could add in the interim until the guards are available. Thanks for the suggestion.

[mattem]

Yeah I've been setting this when I've been using rules_esbuild

config = {
        "resolveExtensions": [".js"],
    },

[mattem]

🌮 for removing cat too 😸

[matthewjh]

Thanks @gregmagolan @mattem

[gonzojive]

What precisely breaks? It's not obvious from the pnpm documentation linked here.

[gregmagolan]

Transitive deps of npm packages cannot be resolved without following symlinks in the symlinks node_modules structure: https://pnpm.io/symlinked-node-modules-structure. You'll resolve direct deps but any deps of deps that are also not also direct deps won't be found.

[matthewjh]

Also, the same package resolved through different symlinks will be treated
as a multiple distinct packages, which is wrong