[DOCS] Question on .npmignore / files behavior for git dependencies in latest version

[cs-balazs]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This is a CLI Docs Enhancement, not another kind of Docs Enhancement.

• This is a CLI Docs Enhancement.

Description of Problem

Considering a sample typescript project like this minimal example: https://github.com/cs-balazs/dummy-lib
When this repo is used as a git dependency in an npm project, after npm install, the build folder is not included in node_modules/dummy-lib. With version 10.2.4, it does appear in the folder, but with 10.5.0 it doesn't

With either of these changes, it works with 10.5.0:

• Adding a files: ["./build/**/*"] in package.json
• Removing src from .npmignore

I wanted to understand the reason behind this, but couldn't find the relevant change in the changelog, nor found a reason in the docs. The documentation of the files field states, that:

Certain files are always included, regardless of settings:

• package.json
• README
• LICENSE / LICENCE
• The file in the "main" field
• The file(s) in the "bin" field

Which to me means, that in this case at least build/src/index.js should be there

I don't know if this is indeed a problem with the docs, or just my misunderstanding, I'm submitting this issue to find that out, and a reason on why this git dependency behavior changed

Potential Solution

No response

Docs URL

No response

[adamraine]

I noticed this changed as well (nodejs/node#52382). I assume it's intentional because the new behavior seems more inline with the syntax rules of .gitignore.

That being said, I think this change could break certain packages without warning.

[cs-balazs]

I noticed this changed as well (nodejs/node#52382). I assume it's intentional because the new behavior seems more inline with the syntax rules of .gitignore.

Yeah, I guess this is indeed the reason. It seems like this might be the related dependency change (not sure): npm/ignore-walk#118