node-migration

name	node-migration
description	Migrate Azure/azure-sdk-for-js to a user-specified minimum Node.js version while preserving any existing references above the target.

Azure SDK Node Migration

Migrate the Azure SDK for JavaScript (Azure/azure-sdk-for-js) to a user-specified minimum Node.js version.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user asks to upgrade, migrate, or raise the repo-wide Node.js minimum or supported version for Azure/azure-sdk-for-js.

Examples

• "Migrate azure-sdk-for-js to Node 24"
• "Upgrade the repo from Node 22 to Node 24"
• "Raise the minimum Node version to 26"

Required Input

The user must provide a target Node.js version.

• Treat the target as a major version unless the user explicitly provides full semver.
• If the target is missing or ambiguous, ask for it before editing.
• If the target does not look like an active or plausible Node major version, ask for confirmation.

Define these values before editing:

Name	Meaning
TARGET_MAJOR	User-requested target major, for example 22 or 24.
TARGET_SEMVER_MIN	Minimum engine form matching nearby style, usually >=${TARGET_MAJOR} or >=${TARGET_MAJOR}.0.0.
OLD_SUPPORTED_MAJORS	Node majors below TARGET_MAJOR that appear in Node-runtime contexts.
HIGHER_MAJORS	Node majors above TARGET_MAJOR that appear in Node-runtime contexts and must be preserved.

Core Rules

• Raise Node.js runtime and minimum-version references below TARGET_MAJOR to TARGET_MAJOR.
• Preserve Node.js version references above TARGET_MAJOR. For example, when target is 22, preserve 24; when target is 24, preserve 26.
• Do not blindly replace every occurrence of the old number.
• Only change references that are clearly Node.js runtime, Node engine, Node typing, CI setup, Docker default, documentation, lock/generated artifact, or related test expectation references.
• Do not change unrelated API versions, service versions, years, port numbers, sample data, or dependency versions where the number is not clearly a Node.js version.

For future migrations, do both passes: broad mechanical sweep first, then a missed-reference sweep.

Steps

1. Verify repo — Confirm the current repository is Azure/azure-sdk-for-js. If not, stop and tell the user this skill expects that repo.
2. Discover current Node references — Use the Search Checklist to find Node runtime, engine, CI, Docker, docs, lockfile, and generated expectation references.
3. Classify findings — Separate findings into JSON engine/dependency changes, CI/YAML changes, code/test expectation changes, docs changes, and generated lock/artifact changes.
4. Identify preserved versions — Record Node majors above TARGET_MAJOR and keep them unchanged unless the user explicitly says otherwise.
5. Edit targeted files — Apply the Core Rules to each finding. Prefer surgical changes and match nearby formatting.
6. Handle special cases — Use the Special Cases section only when the Core Rules do not fully resolve a finding.
7. Regenerate generated artifacts — Use repo tooling for lockfiles and generated package artifacts when applicable.
8. Validate — Run focused checks for changed tooling and a final leftover search.
9. Report outcome — Include the target version, changed categories, validation performed, and intentionally remaining old references with reasons.

Search Checklist

Target areas to search:

Area	Paths / Patterns
Package engines	**/package.json files containing "node" in engines.
Workspace catalog	pnpm-workspace.yaml — check catalog: entries for @types/node.
Direct Node setup pins	.nvmrc, .node-version, .github/workflows/**, eng/pipelines/**, rush.json, common/config/rush/**.
Dev tooling	common/tools/dev-tool/**, common/tools/eslint-plugin-azure-sdk/**, eng/tools/**, eng/containers/**.
Docs and Docker	documentation/**, README.md, sdk/**/Dockerfile, eng/**/Dockerfile.
CI and build scripts	**/.github/workflows/**, **/eng/pipelines/**, **/eng/scripts/**.
Review guidelines	.github/instructions/**, .github/prompts/** — these may reference Node minimum versions as policy.
SDK packages (bulk)	All sdk/**/package.json engine fields and sdk/**/samples/**/package.json @types/node entries. These are enforced by the eslint rule and dev-tool, so update them in bulk after updating the tooling constants.
Textual leftovers	For each old major X: Node.js X, Node X, node-version: "X", node-version: X, NODE_VERSION=X, >=X, >=X.0.0, @types/node@X, @types/node": "X, @types/node": "^X, and known LTS codenames if relevant.

Special Cases

• If an engine range has an upper bound, update the lower bound only when the resulting range remains valid. If TARGET_MAJOR conflicts with the upper bound, ask the user how to handle it.
• Update @types/node only when it represents the repo's supported Node typings for tooling or packages. Do not downgrade higher-major typings.
• In CI matrices or dev-tool defaults, remove or raise entries below TARGET_MAJOR, but preserve entries above TARGET_MAJOR.
• For .nvmrc or .node-version, prefer the repo's existing convention. If the correct LTS codename is uncertain, use the numeric target major rather than guessing.
• Avoid manual lockfile edits when repo tooling can regenerate them correctly.

Validation

Use repo-defined commands only. Inspect package.json, rush.json, and repo docs before choosing commands.

Recommended validation:

1. Run the repo install/update command needed to regenerate lock artifacts.
2. Run formatting only if existing scripts require it for changed files.
3. Run focused checks for touched tooling packages, especially dev-tool and eslint-plugin-azure-sdk if those files changed.
4. Run a final leftover search for every old Node major below TARGET_MAJOR.
5. Search for Node versions above TARGET_MAJOR and confirm they were not downgraded.

Final Leftover Classification

For every remaining old-major hit, classify it as one of:

Classification	Meaning
Changed	The reference was updated to TARGET_MAJOR.
Intentionally preserved: not Node	The number is not a Node.js runtime/minimum reference.
Intentionally preserved: above target	The version is above TARGET_MAJOR and must remain unchanged.
Needs user decision	The reference is ambiguous or the target conflicts with an upper bound.

Troubleshooting

• If there are many false positives from textual search, narrow to Node-specific contexts before editing.
• If generated files or lockfiles churn unexpectedly, rerun the repo's documented install/update workflow rather than hand-editing generated output.
• If a package engine range has an upper bound lower than TARGET_MAJOR, stop and ask the user whether to raise the upper bound, skip that package, or handle it separately.
• If .nvmrc uses an LTS codename and the correct codename is uncertain, prefer the numeric target major instead of guessing.