| name | upgrade-packages |
| description | Upgrade all dependencies/packages to their latest versions for the detected language(s). Use when the user says "upgrade packages", "update dependencies", "bump versions", "update packages", or "upgrade deps". |
| argument-hint | [--check-only] [--major] [package-name] |
Upgrade Packages
Upgrade all project dependencies to their latest compatible (or latest major, if --major) versions.
Arguments
--check-only — List outdated packages without upgrading. Stop after Step 2.
--major — Include major version bumps (breaking changes). Without this flag, stay within semver-compatible ranges.
- Any other argument is treated as a specific package name to upgrade (instead of all packages).
Step 1 — Detect language and package manager
This repo has multiple manifests:
| Location | Manifest file | Language | Package manager |
|---|
repo root (workspace: crates/*, tree-sitter-osprey/) | Cargo.toml | Rust | cargo |
vscode-extension/ | package.json | TypeScript | npm |
webcompiler/ | package.json | Node.js | npm |
website/ | package.json | Node.js | npm |
Process each one in order.
Step 2 — List outdated packages
Run the appropriate command to list what's outdated BEFORE upgrading anything.
Rust (repo root workspace)
cargo update --dry-run --verbose
Read the docs: https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/commands/cargo-update.html
Node.js/npm (vscode-extension/, webcompiler/, website/)
cd vscode-extension && npm outdated
cd webcompiler && npm outdated
cd website && npm outdated
Read the docs: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v10/commands/npm-update
If --check-only was passed, stop here and report the outdated list.
Step 3 — Read the official upgrade docs
Before running any upgrade command, you MUST fetch and read the official documentation URL listed above for the detected package manager. Use WebFetch to retrieve the page. This ensures you use the correct flags and understand the behavior.
Step 4 — Upgrade packages
Rust (repo root workspace)
cargo update
For a specific package: cargo update -p <crate>. With --major, edit the
version requirement in the relevant Cargo.toml first, then cargo update.
Node.js (npm)
npm update
npx npm-check-updates -u && npm install
Run in each of: vscode-extension/, webcompiler/, website/.
Step 5 — Verify the upgrade
After upgrading, run the project's build and test suite to confirm nothing broke:
make ci
If tests fail:
- Read the failure output carefully
- Check the changelog / migration guide for the upgraded packages
- Fix breaking changes in the code
- Re-run tests
- If stuck after 3 attempts on the same failure, report it to the user with the error details and the package that caused it
Step 6 — Report
Provide a summary:
- Packages upgraded (old version -> new version)
- Packages skipped (and why)
- Build/test result after upgrade
- Any breaking changes that were fixed
- Any packages that could not be upgraded (with error details)
Rules
- Always list outdated packages first before upgrading anything
- Always read the official docs for the package manager before running upgrade commands
- Always run tests after upgrading to catch breakage immediately
- Never remove packages unless they were explicitly deprecated and replaced
- Never downgrade packages unless rolling back a broken upgrade
- Never modify lockfiles manually — let the package manager regenerate them
- Commit nothing — leave changes in the working tree for the user to review
Success criteria
- All outdated packages upgraded to latest compatible (or latest major if
--major)
- Build passes
- Tests pass
- User has a clear summary of what changed