Confusion about composer outdated --direct not showing any output for an outdated package

[mfn]

Hi 👋🏼 ,

I seem to not understand how this command is supposed to work. I assumed when I have an direct outdated version in composer.json (or .lock?), it will show me?

In the example below I install Laravel ^8 but there's already ^9 available, but the command does not show anything

+ $ composer self-update && mkdir composer-test && cd composer-test && echo '{ "require": { "laravel/framework":"^8" } }' > composer.json && composer update && composer outdated --direct && cd ..
You are already using the latest available Composer version 2.3.3 (stable channel).
Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies
Lock file operations: 57 installs, 0 updates, 0 removals
  - Locking brick/math (0.9.3)
  - Locking dflydev/dot-access-data (v3.0.1)
  - Locking doctrine/inflector (2.0.4)
  - Locking doctrine/lexer (1.2.3)
  - Locking dragonmantank/cron-expression (v3.3.1)
  - Locking egulias/email-validator (2.1.25)
  - Locking graham-campbell/result-type (v1.0.4)
  - Locking laravel/framework (v8.83.7)
  - Locking laravel/serializable-closure (v1.1.1)
  - Locking league/commonmark (2.2.3)
  - Locking league/config (v1.1.1)
  - Locking league/flysystem (1.1.9)
  - Locking league/mime-type-detection (1.9.0)
  - Locking monolog/monolog (2.4.0)
  - Locking nesbot/carbon (2.57.0)
  - Locking nette/schema (v1.2.2)
  - Locking nette/utils (v3.2.7)
  - Locking opis/closure (3.6.3)
  - Locking phpoption/phpoption (1.8.1)
  - Locking psr/container (1.1.2)
  - Locking psr/event-dispatcher (1.0.0)
  - Locking psr/log (1.1.4)
  - Locking psr/simple-cache (1.0.1)
  - Locking ramsey/collection (1.2.2)
  - Locking ramsey/uuid (4.2.3)
  - Locking swiftmailer/swiftmailer (v6.3.0)
  - Locking symfony/console (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/css-selector (v5.4.3)
  - Locking symfony/deprecation-contracts (v2.5.1)
  - Locking symfony/error-handler (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/event-dispatcher (v5.4.3)
  - Locking symfony/event-dispatcher-contracts (v2.5.1)
  - Locking symfony/finder (v5.4.3)
  - Locking symfony/http-foundation (v5.4.6)
  - Locking symfony/http-kernel (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/mime (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-ctype (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-iconv (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-intl-grapheme (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-intl-idn (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-intl-normalizer (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-mbstring (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-php72 (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-php73 (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-php80 (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/polyfill-php81 (v1.25.0)
  - Locking symfony/process (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/routing (v5.4.3)
  - Locking symfony/service-contracts (v2.5.1)
  - Locking symfony/string (v5.4.3)
  - Locking symfony/translation (v5.4.7)
  - Locking symfony/translation-contracts (v2.5.1)
  - Locking symfony/var-dumper (v5.4.6)
  - Locking tijsverkoyen/css-to-inline-styles (2.2.4)
  - Locking vlucas/phpdotenv (v5.4.1)
  - Locking voku/portable-ascii (1.6.1)
  - Locking webmozart/assert (1.10.0)
Writing lock file
Installing dependencies from lock file (including require-dev)
Package operations: 57 installs, 0 updates, 0 removals
  - Installing doctrine/lexer (1.2.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing voku/portable-ascii (1.6.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-php80 (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-mbstring (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-ctype (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing phpoption/phpoption (1.8.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing graham-campbell/result-type (v1.0.4): Extracting archive
  - Installing vlucas/phpdotenv (v5.4.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/css-selector (v5.4.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing tijsverkoyen/css-to-inline-styles (2.2.4): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/var-dumper (v5.4.6): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/deprecation-contracts (v2.5.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/routing (v5.4.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/process (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-php72 (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-intl-normalizer (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-intl-idn (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/mime (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-php73 (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/http-foundation (v5.4.6): Extracting archive
  - Installing psr/event-dispatcher (1.0.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/event-dispatcher-contracts (v2.5.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/event-dispatcher (v5.4.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing psr/log (1.1.4): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/error-handler (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/http-kernel (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/finder (v5.4.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-intl-grapheme (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/string (v5.4.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing psr/container (1.1.2): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/service-contracts (v2.5.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/console (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-iconv (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing egulias/email-validator (2.1.25): Extracting archive
  - Installing swiftmailer/swiftmailer (v6.3.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/polyfill-php81 (v1.25.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing ramsey/collection (1.2.2): Extracting archive
  - Installing brick/math (0.9.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing ramsey/uuid (4.2.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing psr/simple-cache (1.0.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing opis/closure (3.6.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/translation-contracts (v2.5.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing symfony/translation (v5.4.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing nesbot/carbon (2.57.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing monolog/monolog (2.4.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing league/mime-type-detection (1.9.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing league/flysystem (1.1.9): Extracting archive
  - Installing nette/utils (v3.2.7): Extracting archive
  - Installing nette/schema (v1.2.2): Extracting archive
  - Installing dflydev/dot-access-data (v3.0.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing league/config (v1.1.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing league/commonmark (2.2.3): Extracting archive
  - Installing laravel/serializable-closure (v1.1.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing webmozart/assert (1.10.0): Extracting archive
  - Installing dragonmantank/cron-expression (v3.3.1): Extracting archive
  - Installing doctrine/inflector (2.0.4): Extracting archive
  - Installing laravel/framework (v8.83.7): Extracting archive
60 package suggestions were added by new dependencies, use `composer suggest` to see details.
Package swiftmailer/swiftmailer is abandoned, you should avoid using it. Use symfony/mailer instead.
Generating autoload files
45 packages you are using are looking for funding.
Use the `composer fund` command to find out more!

Testing again:

$ cd composer-test/ && cat composer.json && composer outdated --direct
{ "require": { "laravel/framework":"^8" } }
$

Note that "non --direct" outdated dependencies are shown:

$ cd composer-test/ && cat composer.json && composer outdated
{ "require": { "laravel/framework":"^8" } }
Color legend:
- patch or minor release available - update recommended
- major release available - update possible
egulias/email-validator 2.1.25 3.1.2  A library for validating emails against several RFCs
league/flysystem        1.1.9  2.4.3  Filesystem abstraction: Many filesystems, one API.
psr/container           1.1.2  2.0.2  Common Container Interface (PHP FIG PSR-11)
swiftmailer/swiftmailer v6.3.0 v6.3.0 Swiftmailer, free feature-rich PHP mailer
Package swiftmailer/swiftmailer is abandoned, you should avoid using it. Use symfony/mailer instead.
voku/portable-ascii     1.6.1  2.0.1  Portable ASCII library - performance optimized (ascii) string functions for php.
$

Do I misinterpret how outdated works?

If so: what is the proper procedure to tell me I've outdated root dependencies?

Thank you!

[stof]

Well, in your case, the only direct dependency you have is laravel/framework. And the non-filtered composer outdated does not show laravel/framework as an outdated package, which is why --direct does not show anything.

Bt default composer outdated takes the platform into account (not reporting a package as outdated if the newer version is incompatible with your platform). Maybe that's the reason why Laravel 9 is not suggested to you. There is a --ignore-platform-reqs option to disable that filtering.

[mfn]

Oh… ah!

Of course totally makes sense, I was running it with PHP 7.x all the time (the one thing I managed not to mention); and now it works as expected:

$ php -v
PHP 8.1.4 (cli) (built: Mar 18 2022 09:44:47) (NTS)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.1.4, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v8.1.4, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

$ composer outdated --direct
Color legend:
- patch or minor release available - update recommended
- major release available - update possible
laravel/framework v8.83.7 v9.7.0 The Laravel Framework.

Thank you 🙏🏼

[sovainfo]

Suggest to use --ignore-platform-req php or --ignore-platform-reqs