The xPack dependencies definitions

The dependencies definitions is similar to the npm definition, but lists the xpm source packages required to compile/link-time.

When a source package is installed locally (without --global) into the local project xpacks folder, all packages listed in its xpack.dependencies are also installed into the same local xpacks folder, recursively.

In other words, the list of source dependencies is linearised, and all dependencies are installed at the same top level, as required by compiled languages (like C/C++), to have all source libraries compiled and available at link time.

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The main difference compared to npm is the linearized list of source dependencies.

npm, which is a JavaScript/TypeScript tool, uses a different strategy that preserves the hierarchical structure of dependencies, not suitable for compiled languages.

When installing source packages into an xpm project, they are also added to the dependencies list, in the extended format.

Example:

Extended format source dependency

  "xpack": {
    "minimumXpmRequired": "0.19.4",
    "dependencies": {
      "@micro-os-plus/micro-test-plus": {
        "specifier": "^3.1.2",
        "local": "link",
        "platforms": "all"
      }
    },
  }

For historical reasons, when editting package.json manually, it is also possible to use the short form, similar to the syntax used by npm.

Example:

Traditional short form source dependency

  "xpack": {
    "minimumXpmRequired": "0.19.4",
    "dependencies": {
      "@micro-os-plus/micro-test-plus": "^3.1.2"
    },
  }