Dependency Management

Learn how Relizy handles dependencies between packages in monorepos.

Overview

In monorepos, packages often depend on each other. When you update package A, any package that depends on A should also be updated. Relizy handles this automatically.

How It Works

When you release a package:

Detect Changes - Relizy identifies which packages have commits
Find Dependents - It looks for packages that depend on changed packages
Calculate Bumps - Dependent packages are bumped appropriately
Update Versions - Dependencies in package.json are updated
Transitive Updates - The process repeats for transitive dependencies

Simple Example

Imagine this dependency graph:

text

packages/ui
  └── depends on @myorg/core (workspace:*)

packages/core
  └── no dependencies

When core is updated:

bash

relizy release --minor

# What happens:
# 1. core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (has commits)
# 2. ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core - patched)

Transitive Dependencies

Relizy handles multi-level dependency chains automatically.

Example

text

packages/app
  └── depends on @myorg/ui

packages/ui
  └── depends on @myorg/core

packages/core
  └── no dependencies

When core changes:

bash

relizy release --minor

# What happens:
# 1. core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (has commits)
# 2. ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core - patched)
# 3. app: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on ui - patched)

All three packages are bumped and their dependencies are updated!

Dependency Types

You can configure which dependency fields trigger updates:

// relizy.config.ts
export default defineConfig({
  bump: {
    dependencyTypes: [
      'dependencies', // Production dependencies
      'devDependencies', // Development dependencies
      'peerDependencies', // Peer dependencies
    ],
  },
})

Production Dependencies

Most common - used at runtime:

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

If core is updated, any package listing it in dependencies will be bumped.

Dev Dependencies

Used only during development:

json

{
  "devDependencies": {
    "@myorg/test-utils": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

By default, changes to dev dependencies also trigger bumps. Disable if you want:

export default defineConfig({
  bump: {
    dependencyTypes: ['dependencies'], // Only production deps
  },
})

Peer Dependencies

Dependencies that consumers must provide:

json

{
  "peerDependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

Peer dependency updates are tracked like regular dependencies.

Version Mode Differences

How dependencies are handled varies by version mode:

Unified Mode

All packages get the same version:

text

core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0
ui: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (depends on core)
app: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (depends on ui)

Dependencies in package.json are updated to match:

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.1.0"
  }
}

Selective Mode

Only changed packages (and dependents) are bumped, but they share versions:

text

core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (has commits)
ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core - patched)
app: 1.2.0 → 1.2.0 (no changes, doesn't depend on core)

Independent Mode

Each package has its own version. Dependents get minimum patch bump:

text

core: 2.0.0 → 2.1.0 (has feature commits)
ui: 1.5.0 → 1.5.1 (depends on core, gets patch bump)

If a dependent also has commits, it gets the appropriate bump:

text

core: 2.0.0 → 2.1.0 (has feature commits)
ui: 1.5.0 → 1.6.0 (has its own feature commits)

Workspace Protocol

Relizy supports the workspace protocol used by pnpm, bun and yarn:

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "workspace:*"
  }
}

Complex Dependency Graphs

Relizy handles complex scenarios automatically:

Diamond Dependencies

text

       app
      /   \
    ui     admin
      \   /
       core

When core changes, all packages are updated in the correct order.

Circular Dependencies

WARNING

Circular dependencies are detected and will cause an error. Refactor your packages to remove cycles:

text

ui → core → ui  // ❌ Not allowed

Ignoring Packages

You can exclude packages from dependency tracking:

// relizy.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'relizy'

export default defineConfig({
  monorepo: {
    ignorePackageNames: [
      'example-*', // Ignore example packages
      'docs', // Ignore docs package
    ],
  },
})

Ignored packages:

Won't trigger dependent updates
Won't be bumped automatically
Can still be manually released

Dry Run for Dependency Testing

Use dry run to preview dependency updates:

bash

relizy release --minor --dry-run

Output shows the full dependency tree:

text

Packages to bump:
✓ @myorg/core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0 (has commits)
✓ @myorg/ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core)
✓ @myorg/app: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on ui)

Manual Package Selection

Override automatic dependency detection:

bash

relizy release --minor

# Relizy will still bump dependents:
# ✓ core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0
# ✓ ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1
# ✓ app: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on ui)

Best Practices

1. Use Workspace Protocol

For monorepos with pnpm, bun or yarn:

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "workspace:*" // ("*" for npm)
  }
}

This ensures packages always reference workspace versions during development.

2. Set Correct Dependency Types

Only track the dependency types that matter:

export default defineConfig({
  bump: {
    // Don't bump for devDependency changes
    dependencyTypes: ['dependencies', 'peerDependencies'],
  },
})

3. Review Dry Run Output

Always check dependency updates before releasing:

bash

relizy release --minor --dry-run

4. Keep Dependency Graphs Simple

Avoid complex dependency chains when possible. Flatter is better.

5. Use Consistent Version Ranges

Stick to one range style across your monorepo:

// Good ✅

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.0.0",
    "@myorg/utils": "^2.0.0"
  }
}

// Mixed ❌

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.0.0",
    "@myorg/utils": "~2.0.0"
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Dependent Packages Not Bumping

Check your dependencyTypes configuration:

export default defineConfig({
  bump: {
    dependencyTypes: [
      'dependencies', // Add missing types
      'devDependencies',
    ],
  },
})

Wrong Version in Dependencies

Ensure you're using the correct version range format:

json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@myorg/core": "^1.0.0" // ✅ Caret
    // not: "workspace:*"     // ❌ Will be replaced
  }
}

Circular Dependency Error

Refactor packages to break the cycle:

text

Before (circular):
ui → core → ui

After (fixed):
ui → core
utils → core

Examples

Full Monorepo Release

bash

# In a monorepo with:
# - packages/core (has commits)
# - packages/utils (depends on core)
# - packages/ui (depends on utils)
# - packages/app (depends on ui)

relizy release --minor

# Output:
# ✓ @myorg/core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0
# ✓ @myorg/utils: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core)
# ✓ @myorg/ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on utils)
# ✓ @myorg/app: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on ui)

Selective Release

bash

# Only bump packages/core and its dependents

relizy release --minor

# Output:
# ✓ @myorg/core: 1.0.0 → 1.1.0
# ✓ @myorg/utils: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on core)
# ✓ @myorg/ui: 1.0.0 → 1.0.1 (depends on utils)
# ○ @myorg/unrelated: 1.0.0 (no dependency)

Next Steps

Version Modes - Understand versioning strategies
Configuration - Configure dependency behavior
CLI Commands - Learn about release options

Dependency Management ​

Overview ​

How It Works ​

Simple Example ​

Transitive Dependencies ​

Example ​

Dependency Types ​

Production Dependencies ​

Dev Dependencies ​

Peer Dependencies ​

Version Mode Differences ​

Unified Mode ​

Selective Mode ​

Independent Mode ​

Workspace Protocol ​

Complex Dependency Graphs ​

Diamond Dependencies ​

Circular Dependencies ​

Ignoring Packages ​

Dry Run for Dependency Testing ​

Manual Package Selection ​

Best Practices ​

1. Use Workspace Protocol ​

2. Set Correct Dependency Types ​

3. Review Dry Run Output ​

4. Keep Dependency Graphs Simple ​

5. Use Consistent Version Ranges ​

Troubleshooting ​

Dependent Packages Not Bumping ​

Wrong Version in Dependencies ​

Circular Dependency Error ​

Examples ​

Full Monorepo Release ​

Selective Release ​

Next Steps ​

Dependency Management

Overview

How It Works

Simple Example

Transitive Dependencies

Example

Dependency Types

Production Dependencies

Dev Dependencies

Peer Dependencies

Version Mode Differences

Unified Mode

Selective Mode

Independent Mode

Workspace Protocol

Complex Dependency Graphs

Diamond Dependencies

Circular Dependencies

Ignoring Packages

Dry Run for Dependency Testing

Manual Package Selection

Best Practices

1. Use Workspace Protocol

2. Set Correct Dependency Types

3. Review Dry Run Output

4. Keep Dependency Graphs Simple

5. Use Consistent Version Ranges

Troubleshooting

Dependent Packages Not Bumping

Wrong Version in Dependencies

Circular Dependency Error

Examples

Full Monorepo Release

Selective Release

Next Steps