npm-check-updates 
npm-check-updates upgrades your package.json dependencies to the latest versions, ignoring specified versions.
- maintains existing semantic versioning policies, i.e.
"express": "^4.0.0"to"express": "^5.0.0". - only modifies package.json file. Run
npm installto update your installed packages and package-lock.json.
- Red = major upgrade (and all major version zero)
- Cyan = minor upgrade
- Green = patch upgrade
You may also want to consider npm-check. Similar purpose, different features.
Installation
npm install -g npm-check-updatesUsage
Show any new dependencies for the project in the current directory:
$ ncu
Checking package.json
[====================] 5/5 100%
express 4.12.x → 4.13.x
multer ^0.1.8 → ^1.0.1
react-bootstrap ^0.22.6 → ^0.24.0
react-a11y ^0.1.1 → ^0.2.6
webpack ~1.9.10 → ~1.10.5
Run ncu -u to upgrade package.jsonUpgrade a project's package file:
Make sure your package file is in version control and all changes have been committed. This will overwrite your package file.
$ ncu -u
Upgrading package.json
[====================] 1/1 100%
express 4.12.x → 4.13.x
Run npm install to install new versions.
$ npm install # update installed packages and package-lock.jsonCheck global packages:
ncu -g # add -u to get a one-line command for upgradingYou can include or exclude specific packages using the --filter and --reject options. They accept strings, comma-or-space-delimited lists, or regular expressions:
# match mocha and should packages exactly
$ ncu mocha # shorthand for ncu -f mocha (or --filter)
$ ncu one, two, three
# exclude packages
$ ncu -x nodemon # shorthand for ncu --reject nodemon
# match packages that start with "gulp-" using regex
$ ncu "/^gulp-.*$/"
# match packages that do not start with "gulp-".
$ ncu '/^(?!gulp-).*$/' # mac/linux
$ ncu "/^(?!gulp-).*$/" # windowsOptions
--concurrency <n> Max number of concurrent HTTP requests to
registry. (default: 8)
--configFilePath <path> Directory of .ncurc config file (default:
directory of `packageFile`).
--configFileName <filename> Config file name (default: .ncurc.{json,yml,js})
--cwd <path> Working directory in which npm will be executed.
--dep <dep> Check one or more sections of dependencies only:
prod, dev, peer, optional, bundle
(comma-delimited).
--deprecated Include deprecated packages.
--doctor Iteratively installs upgrades and runs tests to
identify breaking upgrades. Run "ncu --doctor"
for detailed help. Add "-u" to execute.
--enginesNode Include only packages that satisfy engines.node
as specified in the package file.
-e, --errorLevel <n> Set the error level. 1: exits with error code 0
if no errors occur. 2: exits with error code 0
if no packages need updating (useful for
continuous integration). (default: 1)
-f, --filter <matches> Include only package names matching the given
string, comma-or-space-delimited list, or
/regex/.
-g, --global Check global packages instead of in the current
project.
--greatest DEPRECATED. Renamed to "--target greatest".
-i, --interactive Enable interactive prompts for each dependency;
implies -u unless one of the json options are
set,
-j, --jsonAll Output new package file instead of
human-readable message.
--jsonDeps Like `jsonAll` but only lists `dependencies`,
`devDependencies`, `optionalDependencies`, etc
of the new package data.
--jsonUpgraded Output upgraded dependencies in json.
-l, --loglevel <n> Amount to log: silent, error, minimal, warn,
info, verbose, silly. (default: "warn")
-m, --minimal Do not upgrade newer versions that are already
satisfied by the version range according to
semver.
-n, --newest DEPRECATED. Renamed to "--target newest".
-p, --packageManager <name> npm, yarn (default: "npm")
-o, --ownerChanged Check if the package owner changed between
current and upgraded version.
--packageData <string> Package file data (you can also use stdin).
--packageFile <path> Package file location (default: ./package.json).
--pre <n> Include -alpha, -beta, -rc. (default: 0; default
with --newest and --greatest: 1).
--prefix <path> Current working directory of npm.
-r, --registry <url> Third-party npm registry.
--removeRange Remove version ranges from the final package
version.
--semverLevel <value> DEPRECATED. Renamed to --target.
-s, --silent Don't output anything (--loglevel silent).
-t, --target <value> Target version to upgrade to: latest, newest,
greatest, minor, patch. (default: "latest")
--timeout <ms> Global timeout in milliseconds. (default: no
global timeout and 30 seconds per
npm-registery-fetch).
-u, --upgrade Overwrite package file with upgraded versions
instead of just outputting to console.
-x, --reject <matches> Exclude packages matching the given string,
comma-or-space-delimited list, or /regex/.
-V, --version output the version number
-h, --help display help for command
How dependency updates are determined
- Direct dependencies are updated to the latest stable version:
2.0.1→2.2.01.2→1.30.1.0→1.0.1
- Range operators are preserved and the version is updated:
^1.2.0→^2.0.01.x→2.x>0.2.0→>0.3.0
- "Less than" is replaced with a wildcard:
<2.0.0→^3.0.01.0.0 < 2.0.0→^3.0.0
- "Any version" is preserved:
*→*
- with
--target minor, only update patch and minor:0.1.0→0.2.1
- with
--target patch, only update patch:0.1.0→0.1.2
Doctor Mode
Usage: ncu --doctor [-u] [options]
Iteratively installs upgrades and runs tests to identify breaking upgrades. Add -u to execute (modifies your package file, lock file, and node_modules).
To be more precise:
- Runs
npm installandnpm testto ensure tests are currently passing. - Runs
ncu -uto optimistically upgrade all dependencies. - If tests pass, hurray!
- If tests fail, restores package file and lock file.
- For each dependency, install upgrade and run tests.
- When the breaking upgrade is found, saves partially upgraded package.json (not including the breaking upgrade) and exits.
Example:
$ ncu --doctor -u
npm install
npm run test
ncu -u
npm install
npm run test
Failing tests found:
/projects/myproject/test.js:13
throw new Error('Test failed!')
^
Now let's identify the culprit, shall we?
Restoring package.json
Restoring package-lock.json
npm install
npm install --no-save react@16.0.0
npm run test
✓ react 15.0.0 → 16.0.0
npm install --no-save react-redux@7.0.0
npm run test
✗ react-redux 6.0.0 → 7.0.0
Saving partially upgraded package.json
Configuration Files
Use a .ncurc.{json,yml,js} file to specify configuration information.
You can specify file name and path using --configFileName and --configFilePath
command line options.
For example, .ncurc.json:
{
"upgrade": true,
"filter": "express",
"reject": [
"@types/estree",
"ts-node"
]
}Module/Programmatic Usage
npm-check-updates can be required as a module:
const ncu = require('npm-check-updates')
const upgraded = await ncu.run({
// Pass any cli option.
// Defaults:
jsonUpgraded: true,
silent: true
})
console.log(upgraded) // { "mypackage": "^2.0.0", ... }Known Issues
- Windows: If npm-check-updates hangs, run
ncu --loglevel verboseto see if it is waiting for stdin. If so, try setting the package file explicitly:ncu --packageFile package.json. See #136.
Also search the issues page.
Problems?
File an issue. Please search existing issues first.