squad-sdk-local-build

name	squad-sdk-local-build
description	Workaround for installing Squad SDK from GitHub branches that don't have dist/ committed
confidence	high

Squad SDK Local Build Workaround

Problem

When installing the Squad SDK (@bradygaster/squad) from a GitHub branch, npm does NOT:

• Install devDependencies of the package
• Run prepare scripts that require devDependencies (like TypeScript)

This means branches without a committed dist/ folder will fail to import because the compiled JavaScript doesn't exist.

Error symptom:

Cannot find module '@bradygaster/squad/packages/squad-sdk/dist/index.js'

Why npm flags don't help

Flag	What it does	Why it doesn't help
--include=dev	Installs YOUR project's devDeps	Doesn't affect installed package's devDeps
--install-links	Changes symlink handling	Doesn't trigger build scripts
Global TypeScript	Makes tsc available	npm doesn't run prepare for GitHub tarballs

Workaround

1. Clone the SDK repo locally and build it:

   cd /tmp
   git clone https://github.com/jsturtevant/squad-pr.git
   cd squad-pr
   git checkout consult-mode-impl
   npm install
   npm run build
   

2. Update package.json to use the local path:

   npm pkg set dependencies.@bradygaster/squad="file:/tmp/squad-pr"
   npm install
   

3. Verify:

   ls node_modules/@bradygaster/squad/packages/squad-sdk/dist/
   # Should show: index.js, index.d.ts, etc.
   

When to use this

• Testing SDK changes before they're published to npm
• Using feature branches that have TypeScript source but no dist/
• Any branch where setupConsultMode() or other new features aren't in the published npm version

Permanent fix (for SDK team)

The SDK team should do ONE of:

1. Commit dist/ to branches — simplest, works immediately
2. Publish to npm — proper solution for releases
3. Add prepublishOnly that builds — already exists, but only runs on npm publish

Current state

• package.json uses file:/tmp/squad-pr
• Local build at /tmp/squad-pr includes dist/ folder
• Tests pass (104/104)