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install-dependencies

Development
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Use when adding project dependencies. Defines dependency management rules and language-specific patterns.

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Install Dependencies

Philosophy

Core Principle: Let package managers handle version resolution automatically. Never specify version numbers unless absolutely necessary.

Why This Approach

  1. Package managers are smarter: Modern package managers (uv, npm, cargo) resolve compatible versions automatically
  2. Avoid version conflicts: Manual version specifications often create dependency hell
  3. Get latest features: Always use the newest compatible versions
  4. Simpler maintenance: No need to manually track and update versions
  5. Trust the ecosystem: Package managers understand semver and compatibility better than manual pinning

Universal Rules

✅ DO:

  • Add dependency names without version numbers
  • Let the package manager resolve versions
  • Trust the lock file (package-lock.json, Cargo.lock, uv.lock)
  • Update dependencies regularly through the package manager

❌ DON'T:

  • Specify version numbers (>=, ^, ~, =)
  • Manually pin versions without good reason
  • Override package manager decisions
  • Commit version specifications to dependency files

Exception Case

The ONLY time to specify a version is when there's a known breaking change or compatibility issue that requires pinning to a specific version.

Requirements for version pinning:

  • Must be documented with a comment explaining why
  • Must be treated as temporary until the issue is resolved
  • Should include link to issue/ticket tracking the problem

Example:

dependencies = [
    "problematic-lib",  # Pinned to v1.2.3 due to breaking change in v1.3.0 (see issue #123)
]

Language-Specific Details

For language-specific syntax and examples:

Workflow

  1. Add dependency: Add dependency name only (no version)
  2. Let package manager resolve: Run the appropriate install/sync command
  3. Verify: Check that dependency was resolved and installed
  4. Commit lock file: Always commit the updated lock file