`nx release` not respecting `implicitDependencies` when running `updateDependents`

[kumboleijo]

Current Behavior

Having an implicitDependency set inside the project.json file seems to be not respected when running nx release.

Setup

nx.json

{
  "$schema": "./node_modules/nx/schemas/nx-schema.json",
  "defaultBase": "dev",
  "release": {
    "releaseTagPattern": "{projectName}@{version}",
    "projectsRelationship": "independent",
    "versionPlans": true,
    "version": {
      "generatorOptions": { "preserveLocalDependencyProtocols": true }
    },
    "changelog": { "projectChangelogs": true },
    "projects": ["packages/*", "apps/*"]
  }
}

packages/lib/package.json

{
  "name": "lib",
  "version": "1.0.0"
}

apps/api/package.json

{
  "name": "api",
  "version": "1.0.0"
}

apps/api/project.json

{
  "implicitDependencies": ["lib"]
}

version-plan

---
lib: minor
---

some fix

nx graph

The nx graph shows the expected implicit dependency correctly.

nx release

Now when running nx release -d the following output shows:

 NX   Running release version for project: lib

lib 🔍 Reading data for package "lib" from packages/lib/package.json
lib 📄 Resolved the current version as 1.0.0 from packages/lib/package.json
lib 📄 Resolved the specifier as "minor" using version plans.
lib ✍️  New version 1.1.0 written to packages/lib/package.json

 NX   Running release version for project: api

api 🔍 Reading data for package "api" from apps/api/package.json
api 📄 Resolved the current version as 1.0.0 from apps/api/package.json
api 🚫 No changes were detected within version plans.
api 🚫 Skipping versioning "api" as no changes were detected.

UPDATE packages/lib/package.json [dry-run]

    "name": "lib",
-   "version": "1.0.0"
+   "version": "1.1.0"
  }

Warning

Note the api 🚫 No changes were detected within version plans. line.

Expected Behavior

Shouldn't the implicitDependency also affect the output of nx release and bump the version of the dependents?

Nx Report

NX   Report complete - copy this into the issue template

Node           : 20.18.1
OS             : darwin-arm64
Native Target  : aarch64-macos
pnpm           : 9.12.3

nx             : 20.2.1
@nx/js         : 20.2.1
@nx/workspace  : 20.2.1
@nx/devkit     : 20.2.1
typescript     : 5.7.2

Failure Logs

Package Manager Version

No response

Operating System

• macOS
• Linux
• Windows
• Other (Please specify)

Additional Information

🚨 Side effect

When adding the lib also as a dependency or devDependency to the apps/api/package.json nx release shows a weird behaviour:

apps/api/package.json (updated)

{
  "name": "api",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": {
    "lib": "workspace:*"
  }
}

 NX   Running release version for project: lib

lib 🔍 Reading data for package "lib" from packages/lib/package.json
lib 📄 Resolved the current version as 1.0.0 from packages/lib/package.json
lib 📄 Resolved the specifier as "minor" using version plans.
lib ✍️  New version 1.1.0 written to packages/lib/package.json
lib ✍️  Applying new version 1.1.0 to 3 packages which depend on lib

 NX   Running release version for project: api

api 🔍 Reading data for package "api" from apps/api/package.json
api 📄 Resolved the current version as 1.0.0 from apps/api/package.json
api 📄 Resolved the specifier as "patch" because "release.version.generatorOptions.updateDependents" is enabled
api ✍️  New version 1.0.1 written to apps/api/package.json

UPDATE packages/lib/package.json [dry-run]

    "name": "lib",
-   "version": "1.0.0"
+   "version": "1.1.0"
  }

UPDATE packages/api-client/package.json [dry-run]

    "name": "api-client",
-   "version": "1.7.0",
+   "version": "1.7.3",
    "description": "",

UPDATE apps/api/package.json [dry-run]

    "name": "api",
-   "version": "1.0.0",
+   "version": "1.0.1",
    "dependencies": {


 NX   Updating pnpm lock file


 NX   Staging changed files with git


 NX   Previewing an entry in packages/lib/CHANGELOG.md for lib@1.1.0


CREATE packages/lib/CHANGELOG.md [dry-run]
+ ## 1.1.0 (2024-12-10)
+
+ ### 🚀 Features
+
+ - some fix


 NX   Previewing an entry in apps/api/CHANGELOG.md for api@1.0.1


CREATE apps/api/CHANGELOG.md [dry-run]
+ ## 1.0.1 (2024-12-10)
+
+ ### 🧱 Updated Dependencies
+
+ - Updated lib to 1.1.0
+ - Updated lib to 1.1.0


 NX   Staging changed files with git


 NX   Removing version plan files


 NX   Committing changes with git


 NX   Tagging commit with git


 NX   Skipped publishing packages.

Now it correctly picks up the dependency and bumps the version of api.

Warning

But the generated changelog now contains the update information twice!

If you now remove the implicitDependency from apps/api/project.json this duplication is gone - so it seems like it somehow affects nx release.