bug(pnpm): devDependencies aren’t updated if pnpm package manager

[Kristinita]

1. Summary

I don’t understand how can I update my devDependencies to the latest versions using pnpm + npm-check. If I follow the steps described in the npm-check descriptions, this command is launched:

pnpm npm-check -y install <devDependency>@<latest version> --save-dev --color=always

while the command to get the desired behavior looks like this:

pnpm add <devDependency>@<latest version> -D

It seems like npm-check is using some deprecated pnpm syntax.

2. MCVE

2.1. Task

I wish to update all of my devDependencies except for a some. Currently, this cannot be done using pnpm without third-party tools.

In my MCVE, I want to update to the latest version of obsolete devDependencies “coffeescript” and “postcss”, but not update “imagemin-webp” (because the latest version of this package doesn’t work correctly for me with Node.js 18, and I don’t want to update it).

2.2. Files

This configuration on the KiraPnpmPackagesUpdate branch of my GitHub repository for demonstrations, Travis CI build for this configuration.

1. packages.json:

   {
   	"devDependencies": {
   		"coffeescript": "^1.0.0",
   		"imagemin-webp": "^6.0.0",
   		"postcss": "^6.0.0"
   	}
   }

2. The part of the .travis.yml:

   before_install:
   # [INFO] Set environment variable “NPM_CHECK_INSTALLER” for pnpm:
   # https://github.com/dylang/npm-check#update-using-ied-or-pnpm
   - export NPM_CHECK_INSTALLER="pnpm npm-check -y"
   
   install:
   - npm install -g pnpm
   # [INFO] Install all devDependencies from “package.json”:
   # https://pnpm.io/cli/install#--dev--d
   - pnpm install -D
   # [INFO] Install npm-check as devDependency:
   # https://pnpm.io/cli/add#--save-dev--d
   - pnpm add npm-check -D
   
   script:
   # [INFO] Execute npm-check in scope of a project:
   # https://pnpm.io/cli/exec
   - pnpm exec npm-check -y -i imagemin-webp
   

3. Behavior

3.1. Desired

Like this command:

pnpm add coffeescript@2.7.0 postcss@8.4.16 -D

This command updates devDependencies “coffeescript” and “postcss” to the latest versions, but does nothing with “imagemin-webp”.

3.2. Current

Travis link:

$ pnpm exec npm-check -y -i imagemin-webp

- Checking for unused packages. --skip-unused if you don't want this.

- Checking npm registries for updated packages.

$ pnpm npm-check -y install coffeescript@2.7.0 postcss@8.4.16 --save-dev --color=always

- Installing using pnpm npm-check -y…

Command failed with ENOENT: pnpm npm-check -y install coffeescript@2.7.0 postcss@8.4.16 --save-dev --color=always

spawn pnpm npm-check -y ENOENT

For more detail, add `--debug` to the command

The command "pnpm exec npm-check -y -i imagemin-webp" exited with 1.

As you can see this command is running:

pnpm npm-check -y install coffeescript@2.7.0 postcss@8.4.16 --save-dev --color=always

4. Environment

1. Operating system:

   1. Local — Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.1415]
   2. Travis CI — Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish

2. Node.js v18.9.0

3. pnpm 7.11.0

4. npm-check 6.0.1

Thanks.

[Kristinita]

@zkochan, please take a look at this issue when you will have a time.

In 2018 you wrote in comments of your pull request to npm-check:

Command failed: yarn install --save @types/node@10.5.0 --color=always
error `install` has been replaced with `add` to add new dependencies. Run "yarn add @types/node@10.5.0" instead.

Currently, in 2022 pnpm uses add, not install to add new dependencies. But it looks like npm-check use deprecated pnpm syntax.

Thanks.