dependency-updater

Overview of dependency-updater skill

What the dependency-updater skill does

The dependency-updater skill helps an agent update project dependencies with less guesswork than a generic “upgrade everything” prompt. It detects the package ecosystem from files like package.json, requirements.txt, pyproject.toml, go.mod, Cargo.toml, Gemfile, pom.xml, build.gradle, and *.csproj, then maps that project to ecosystem-specific update and audit tools.

Its core value is not just “check for updates.” The real job-to-be-done is to safely move a codebase forward: apply low-risk dependency updates, avoid trampling intentionally pinned versions, surface major-version decisions separately, and run the right audit path for the language in use.

Who this dependency-updater skill is best for

This dependency-updater skill is a good fit for:

• developers maintaining apps across multiple language ecosystems
• teams that want a consistent update workflow for Code Editing tasks
• users who want an agent to choose the right package manager tooling automatically
• maintainers who want minor and patch updates handled more aggressively than majors

It is especially useful if you switch between Node, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, and .NET and do not want to rewrite the same dependency maintenance prompt every time.

What makes it different from a normal prompt

A normal prompt often leaves the agent to infer:

• which package manifest matters
• which update command is appropriate
• whether pinned versions should be changed
• when a major version needs confirmation
• which security audit tool belongs to that ecosystem

The dependency-updater skill already encodes those decisions. For Node.js, for example, the repository includes helper scripts around taze, which is a strong signal that this skill is designed for practical execution rather than generic advice alone.

What users usually care about first

Before installing, most users want to know four things:

1. Will it work on my stack?
2. Is it conservative or aggressive?
3. Does it help with security checks too?
4. Will it break intentionally pinned dependencies?

From the repository, the answer is broadly: yes across common ecosystems, conservative on safe updates, audit-aware, and respectful of fixed versions.

How to Use dependency-updater skill

dependency-updater install path

Install the skill in your local skills environment with:

npx skills add softaworks/agent-toolkit --skill dependency-updater

Then invoke it through your agent with a direct task such as:

update my dependencies

The repository’s SKILL.md is intentionally trigger-driven, so plain-language requests like “check for outdated packages” or “audit dependencies for vulnerabilities” are the right starting point.

What the dependency-updater skill needs as input

For good results, the skill needs the repository context more than a long abstract prompt. In practice, give it:

• the project root
• the package manifest files present
• the package manager in use if non-default
• whether major updates are allowed
• whether you want update-only, audit-only, or diagnosis
• any monorepo or workspace structure notes

A weak input is:

Update dependencies.

A stronger input is:

Update dependencies in this Node.js repo. Use safe minor and patch updates first, skip intentionally pinned versions, list major upgrades separately for approval, and run a vulnerability check after changes. This is a monorepo, so inspect workspace packages too.

That extra context changes both the command path and the risk profile.

Supported ecosystems and what happens under the hood

Based on the skill files, the workflow maps common manifests to common tools:

• Node.js → taze, npm audit
• Python → pip-review, safety, pip-audit
• Go → go get -u, govulncheck
• Rust → cargo update, cargo audit
• Ruby → bundle update, bundle audit
• Java → Maven dependency/version tooling
• .NET → dotnet outdated, vulnerability listing

This matters because the dependency-updater usage pattern is ecosystem-aware. You are not installing a universal updater binary; you are installing a skill that tells the agent which native toolchain to use.

Read these repository files first

If you want to assess the skill before using it, start here:

1. skills/dependency-updater/SKILL.md
   Best first read for triggers, supported languages, and the intended update policy.

2. skills/dependency-updater/README.md
   Useful for fit, scenarios, and the overall workflow in plainer prose.

3. skills/dependency-updater/scripts/check-tool.sh
   Shows how missing tools are detected and how installation guidance is surfaced.

4. skills/dependency-updater/scripts/run-taze.sh
   Most practical evidence for Node.js handling, including taze checks and local execution expectations.

That reading order gives a faster install decision than scanning the whole repo tree.

How to call dependency-updater for Code Editing work

For Code Editing, the best usage pattern is task-specific rather than general:

• “Check what is outdated and propose a safe plan.”
• “Apply minor and patch dependency updates only.”
• “Audit dependencies and explain the real vulnerabilities.”
• “Diagnose why dependency installation is failing after an upgrade.”
• “Update one ecosystem inside a polyglot repo first.”

This keeps the agent from mixing discovery, upgrade, remediation, and refactoring into one opaque step.

Prompt pattern that gets better results

A reliable dependency-updater guide prompt usually includes five parts:

1. ecosystem or manifest files
2. allowed version scope
3. whether pinned versions should remain untouched
4. whether to run audits
5. desired output format

Example:

Use the dependency-updater skill on this Python project. Inspect pyproject.toml and requirements files, update only non-breaking versions, preserve exact pins unless they are vulnerable, run pip-audit, and summarize changed packages, skipped packages, and any manual follow-up needed.

Why this works: it gives the skill a target policy, not just a command.

Tool prerequisites that can block adoption

The biggest practical blocker is local tool availability. The repository includes scripts/check-tool.sh, which explicitly checks for required tools and prints install guidance. For Node.js, scripts/run-taze.sh expects taze to exist and suggests:

npm install -g taze

or one-off use via:

npx taze

So if the dependency-updater install seems fine but execution stalls, missing ecosystem tools are the first thing to verify.

Node.js workflow details worth knowing

The Node path is the most concrete in the repo. The helper script:

• checks whether taze is installed
• verifies package.json exists
• supports extra args
• supports recursive mode for monorepos with -r

That means this skill is particularly practical for JS/TS repos, especially if you want workspace-aware updates without hand-writing every command.

How to use it safely in monorepos

If your repo contains multiple packages, tell the agent that explicitly. Auto-detection helps, but monorepos still benefit from stronger guidance:

Use dependency-updater for this monorepo. Detect each package.json, run safe updates recursively where appropriate, and report packages that need separate major-version review.

Without that instruction, the agent may update only the current working directory or miss workspace-level nuance.

When to ask for audit versus update versus diagnosis

These are separate jobs and should be prompted separately when possible:

• Update: move dependencies forward safely
• Audit: identify known vulnerabilities
• Diagnosis: explain broken installs, conflicts, or lockfile issues

If you combine all three at once, outputs often become noisy. The skill supports all three, but the highest-quality results usually come from sequencing them.

dependency-updater skill FAQ

Is dependency-updater good for beginners?

Yes, if you already know your project’s package manager basics. The skill reduces the need to memorize tool choices across ecosystems, but beginners still need to understand what a major version is, what a lockfile does, and why pinned dependencies might be intentional.

Does dependency-updater automatically update major versions?

Not by default in spirit. The repository guidance emphasizes safe updates and prompting for major versions individually. That is a good sign for production use, because blind major upgrades create avoidable breakage.

When should I not use the dependency-updater skill?

Skip this skill if your goal is:

• a deep migration between framework generations
• hand-curated dependency policy enforcement across many repos
• lockfile-only maintenance without broader dependency reasoning
• package ecosystem support outside the listed common stacks

It is a dependency maintenance assistant, not a full release engineering system.

How is this better than asking an AI to update dependencies normally?

The value of the dependency-updater skill is that it already encodes ecosystem detection, safe-update bias, and common audit tooling. A generic prompt may still work, but you will usually spend more effort correcting tool choice, scope, and version policy.

Is dependency-updater only for Node.js?

No. It covers Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, and .NET in the published docs. Node.js just has the clearest repository-side execution evidence because of the included helper scripts.

Can I use dependency-updater for security work only?

Yes. Prompts like “audit dependencies for vulnerabilities” fit the trigger model directly. This is useful when you want visibility before changing versions.

How to Improve dependency-updater skill

Give the skill a version policy up front

The biggest output-quality improvement is to specify your allowed update scope:

• patch only
• minor and patch
• majors listed but not applied
• update vulnerable exact pins only after explanation

If you do not say this, the skill must infer your risk tolerance.

Tell it which files define truth

In real repositories, multiple manifests may coexist. Improve dependency-updater usage by naming the source-of-truth files:

Use package.json and pnpm-lock.yaml as the main dependency sources. Ignore example apps and archived folders.

This prevents wasted scanning and accidental updates in non-production folders.

Separate “scan” from “apply”

A stronger workflow is:

1. detect manifests and outdated packages
2. propose changes
3. apply safe updates
4. run audit
5. summarize manual decisions

That staged approach is usually better than “just update everything,” especially for shared or regulated codebases.

Flag intentional pins and compatibility constraints

Common failure mode: the agent treats exact versions as stale mistakes. If a dependency is pinned for compatibility, say so directly:

Respect fixed versions unless they are tied to a known vulnerability or I explicitly approve changing them.

This aligns with the skill’s own documented behavior and avoids noisy churn.

Use better prompts for diagnosis cases

When installs are already broken, include symptoms rather than just asking to “fix deps”:

Use dependency-updater to diagnose this Python dependency issue. pip install fails with resolver conflicts after upgrading. Inspect pyproject.toml and lock data, identify the conflicting package constraints, and propose the smallest safe fix.

That gives the agent a troubleshooting target instead of a generic upgrade task.

Verify local tooling before blaming the skill

Another common failure mode is thinking the skill failed when the real issue is missing system tooling. Check:

• package manager present
• audit tool installed
• updater tool installed
• correct working directory
• relevant manifest file exists

The included shell scripts are a clue that environment readiness matters more here than on purely advisory skills.

Iterate after the first pass

The best second prompt is usually one of these:

• “Now apply only the non-breaking changes you proposed.”
• “Re-run for the monorepo packages you skipped.”
• “Explain which exact pins were preserved and why.”
• “List majors requiring manual review.”
• “Audit again after the updates and summarize residual risk.”

That kind of follow-up turns the dependency-updater guide into a repeatable maintenance workflow rather than a one-off command.

Improve dependency-updater results in polyglot repos

If your repository mixes services in different languages, do not ask for one giant upgrade. Ask the skill to handle one ecosystem or directory at a time. This improves precision, makes rollback easier, and avoids mixing unrelated package-manager failures in one run.