use-npm-packages

name	use-npm-packages
description	Prefer well-maintained npm packages over custom implementations

Use npm Packages (Don't Reinvent the Wheel)

ALWAYS prefer well-maintained npm packages over custom implementations.

Process

Before writing custom code:

1. Search npm first: Look for existing packages
2. Check maintenance: Verify active development and download stats
3. Check TypeScript support: Look for built-in types or @types packages
4. Use official libraries: Prefer packages by recognized maintainers

Package Selection Criteria

✅ Good Package Indicators:

• Downloads/week: >100k (indicates wide adoption)
• Last publish: Within last few months (actively maintained)
• TypeScript support: Built-in types or @types available
• Cross-platform: Works on Linux, macOS, Windows
• Reputable author: Known maintainer (e.g., sindresorhus, vercel)

Common Patterns

Use lodash-es for Utilities

This project uses lodash-es for common utility functions:

import { find, uniqueId, truncate, chain, groupBy, sumBy } from 'lodash-es';

const taskId = uniqueId('task-');
const description = truncate(longText, { length: 100 });
const task = find(tasks, task => task.status === 'running');

const result = chain(items)
  .filter(item => item.active)
  .sortBy('priority')
  .take(5)
  .value();

Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Don't implement these yourself:

• Custom file system watchers → Use chokidar
• Custom process management → Use fkill, cross-spawn
• Custom HTTP clients → Use axios, node-fetch, got
• Custom date/time handling → Use date-fns, dayjs
• Custom path manipulation → Use Node.js path module
• Custom validation → Use zod, joi, yup
• Custom array/object utilities → Use lodash-es

When Custom Code is OK

Write custom code when:

• ✅ It's truly domain-specific business logic
• ✅ No suitable package exists
• ✅ The package is unmaintained/abandoned
• ✅ The package is too heavy for simple use case
• ✅ You need specific behavior package doesn't provide

Red Flags

Watch for packages with:

• ❌ No updates in >1 year
• ❌ Many open issues, few closed
• ❌ <10k downloads/week (unless very niche)
• ❌ No TypeScript support
• ❌ Poor documentation
• ❌ No tests