Install and select packages

Install a public package with its registered name:

silex install STD

With the public domain now served by Cloudflare, Silex 0.45.0 recognizes the registry's /v2 capability and reads versions stored in D1/R2. A failed capability check does not silently fall back to the old /v1 index.

The compatible client reads sources and artifacts stored by the Cloudflare registry without signing in to GitHub or accessing the author's repository. Silex selects the latest published version that remains compatible with the compiler version. To require a precise version, add it after @:

silex install STD@0.19.0

Dependencies declared by that version are resolved and installed automatically. Installation never modifies your application's Package.json.

Declare the package used by a project

An application with a manifest must directly declare every package it imports:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "STD": "^0.19.0"
  }
}

^0.19.0 accepts a published version equal to or newer than 0.19.0 without crossing the next major version. Use =0.19.0 when the project requires that exact version.

A transitive dependency is not automatically visible in your code. The Define a package with Package.json page explains the manifest and version constraints. Their effects on module visibility and identity are described in package boundaries.

Install a local copy

A command can also install the current state of a package folder:

silex install UserPackages/MyPackage

This operation copies one version into the user store. Later changes to the source folder are therefore not included. To work directly on its files, use a development link instead.

Prepare development dependencies

--dev adds the devDependencies of the explicitly requested package:

silex install MyPackage --dev

Their ordinary dependencies are installed, but their own devDependencies are not installed recursively. Without --dev, these testing, example, or benchmark tools remain absent from the graph consumed by package users.

Install an official suite

Some packages declare separately published extensions as members of their suite. Install the package and compatible members with:

silex install GFX --suite

Installation expands to the suite only for a registry name. This option is unavailable when the operand is a local folder, and a transitive dependency never triggers it implicitly.

--suite and --dev express two independent intentions and can be combined.

Prepare another target

Installation selects the current machine target by default. When a package provides artifacts for another target, specify it:

silex install MyPackage --target windows-x64

Recognized targets are displayed by silex targets.

See available and selected packages

Display installed versions and user-wide links:

silex packages

Each line gives the name, version, origin, and path. Possible origins notably include installed and user-link.

To inspect the graph actually selected for a source or project, use:

silex packages resolve Project/Main.sx
silex packages resolve Project

The second command accounts for the nearest manifest, versions, development links, and project development dependencies.

Remove an installed version

Silex 0.44 has no package uninstall command. The output of silex packages gives the exact path of every version. Delete only the affected Name@MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH folder under ~/.silex/packages, or under %USERPROFILE%\.silex\packages on Windows.

This deletion modifies no manifest. A project requiring that version must therefore install another compatible version before it can be resolved again.

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