dependency-upgrade

Overview of dependency-upgrade skill

What the dependency-upgrade skill does

The dependency-upgrade skill is a structured playbook for planning and executing major package upgrades with less breakage and less guesswork. It is designed for cases where a simple version bump is risky: framework jumps, breaking dependency changes, vulnerable packages that need replacement, or projects with tangled transitive dependencies.

Who should use dependency-upgrade

This dependency-upgrade skill is best for developers maintaining real applications, libraries, or internal tools where compatibility matters more than speed alone. It is especially useful for people working in JavaScript and TypeScript repos that use npm or yarn, but the decision process also helps in broader Code Editing workflows.

The real job-to-be-done

Users do not just want “update a package.” They want to answer: what changed, what will break, what should be upgraded first, how should testing be staged, and how can the rollout be made reversible. That is where dependency-upgrade is more useful than a generic “upgrade my dependencies” prompt.

What makes this skill different

The strongest differentiator is that the skill centers upgrade analysis and staged execution, not just commands. It combines semver review, dependency auditing, dependency tree inspection, compatibility thinking, and test planning into one workflow. That makes it better for high-impact upgrades than a shallow package manager command list.

When this skill is a strong fit

Use dependency-upgrade when you are:

• upgrading a major framework version
• handling breaking changes in a key library
• resolving dependency conflicts
• planning an incremental migration path
• modernizing outdated packages without destabilizing production

When this skill is a weak fit

Skip this dependency-upgrade skill if you only need routine patch updates, already have a fully automated upgrade bot workflow, or are working on a repo where dependency management is not the main blocker. In those cases, ordinary package manager commands or a simpler prompt may be enough.

How to Use dependency-upgrade skill

Install context for dependency-upgrade

The repository excerpt does not expose a skill-specific install command inside SKILL.md, so directory users should install it from the source repository path used by the skill collection. If your environment supports remote skill installs, use the repository URL and select the dependency-upgrade skill from wshobson/agents.

A common pattern is:
npx skills add https://github.com/wshobson/agents --skill dependency-upgrade

If your agent runtime uses a different install mechanism, keep the same repository and skill slug.

Read this file first

Start with SKILL.md. In this case, that is the main source of truth and contains the actual workflow signals: when to use the skill, semver guidance, dependency audit commands, dependency tree analysis, and compatibility matrix thinking.

What input the skill needs from you

The dependency-upgrade skill works best when you provide concrete upgrade context, not just a package name. Include:

• package or framework to upgrade
• current version and target version
• package manager: npm or yarn
• app type: library, SPA, SSR app, CLI, monorepo, etc.
• test stack and CI constraints
• whether this is security-driven, compatibility-driven, or maintenance-driven
• known breakages or warnings already seen

Turn a rough goal into a strong prompt

Weak:
“Upgrade React.”

Stronger:
“Use the dependency-upgrade skill to plan a React 17 to 18 migration for a production app using npm, react-dom, Jest, and older testing utilities. Audit direct and transitive dependencies, identify likely breaking points, propose the safest upgrade order, and give me a staged test plan with rollback checkpoints.”

The stronger version gives the skill enough context to produce a real migration plan instead of generic advice.

Suggested dependency-upgrade workflow

A practical dependency-upgrade usage flow is:

1. audit what is outdated and why it matters
2. identify whether the upgrade is major, minor, or patch
3. inspect dependency tree and duplicate packages
4. map compatibility requirements for peer and related packages
5. decide on direct jump vs staged upgrade
6. update versions in a controlled scope
7. run targeted tests before full regression testing
8. document follow-up fixes and rollback options

This is the workflow users usually want but often do not spell out in a prompt.

Commands the skill expects you to use

The upstream skill points to practical commands such as:

• npm outdated
• npm audit
• npm audit fix
• yarn outdated
• yarn audit
• npx npm-check-updates
• npx npm-check-updates -u
• npm ls package-name
• yarn why package-name
• npm dedupe
• yarn dedupe
• npx madge --image graph.png src/

These are not just examples. They reveal the intended operating model: inspect first, then change.

How to use dependency-upgrade for Code Editing

For Code Editing, use the dependency-upgrade skill before asking an agent to rewrite files. First ask for impact analysis, upgrade ordering, and package compatibility checks. Then ask for specific code edits only after the likely API changes are identified. This reduces blind refactors and makes the edits easier to review.

Best repository-reading path

Because this skill has only SKILL.md exposed in the tree preview, there is no large support system of helper scripts or references to lean on. That means you should read the headings in order and extract the workflow directly:

1. When to Use This Skill
2. Semantic Versioning Review
3. Dependency Analysis
4. compatibility and testing sections that follow

This is a lighter skill, so user-provided context matters more than repo-provided automation.

What the skill does not automate for you

The dependency-upgrade skill helps with planning and execution structure, but it does not magically know your app's runtime behavior, private package constraints, deployment window, or undocumented coupling between packages. You still need to supply local repo facts and run the actual tests.

Practical tips that improve output quality

Ask for these explicitly when using dependency-upgrade:

• a compatibility matrix for adjacent packages
• an ordered list of upgrade steps
• expected breakage categories
• test priorities by risk
• a fallback plan if the major upgrade fails
• package-lock or lockfile handling guidance

These requests push the output from “helpful summary” to “actionable migration plan.”

dependency-upgrade skill FAQ

Is dependency-upgrade only for major upgrades?

No. Major upgrades are the main use case, but the dependency-upgrade skill also helps with security updates, conflict resolution, and modernization work where transitive packages or peer dependencies create risk beyond a simple version bump.

Is dependency-upgrade beginner-friendly?

Yes, with limits. Beginners can use it to avoid missing key steps like semver review or dependency tree inspection. But if you do not know your package manager, test setup, or deployment process, the skill cannot fill in those project-specific details for you.

How is this different from a normal upgrade prompt?

A normal prompt often jumps straight to “change package.json.” The dependency-upgrade skill is better because it frames the upgrade as analysis plus staged execution. That usually leads to safer sequencing, clearer compatibility checks, and better test planning.

Does the dependency-upgrade skill work outside JavaScript?

The examples in the skill are clearly JavaScript ecosystem oriented, especially npm and yarn. The reasoning pattern still transfers, but if your stack is Python, Ruby, Java, or Rust, you will need to adapt the commands and dependency graph tooling.

When should I not use dependency-upgrade?

Do not reach for dependency-upgrade when the change is trivial, the package update is already covered by automated tooling, or the real problem is application refactoring rather than dependency management. In those cases, a narrower prompt will be faster.

Can dependency-upgrade help with dependency conflicts?

Yes. That is one of the better fits. The included workflow explicitly points toward inspecting why packages are installed, identifying duplicates, and analyzing transitive relationships before forcing upgrades.

How to Improve dependency-upgrade skill

Give the skill exact version boundaries

A better dependency-upgrade prompt names both the current and desired versions. “Upgrade Next.js” is weak. “Plan a safe upgrade from next@12 to next@14 with React alignment and CI-safe checkpoints” is much stronger because it changes the compatibility analysis completely.

Include adjacent packages, not just the main dependency

Major upgrades often fail because of peer packages, plugins, adapters, or test tools. If you list those up front, dependency-upgrade can produce a more realistic compatibility matrix and catch likely blockers earlier.

Ask for staged rollout, not one-shot migration

If the project is important, tell the skill to propose phases such as audit, lockfile update, minimal compile fix, test stabilization, and cleanup. This gets better output than asking for one giant upgrade because it mirrors how successful migrations actually happen.

Surface your constraints early

Tell dependency-upgrade whether you need:

• zero downtime
• minimal PR size
• monorepo safety
• strict CI passing before merge
• rollback readiness
• support for mixed package versions during transition

These constraints materially change the plan.

Watch for common failure modes

The most common weak outputs happen when users omit:

• package manager
• lockfile situation
• peer dependency ecosystem
• framework plugins
• current errors
• available test coverage

If dependency-upgrade gives a plan that feels generic, the input was probably too thin.

Ask for output in decision-ready format

A useful pattern is to request:

• risk summary
• package compatibility table
• ordered upgrade steps
• validation checklist
• rollback plan

That structure makes the dependency-upgrade skill easier to act on in a real repo and easier to convert into tickets or PR steps.

Iterate after the first pass

After the initial dependency-upgrade output, feed back real results:

• audit output
• install errors
• failing tests
• peer dependency warnings
• build or runtime regressions

The second pass is often where the skill becomes genuinely valuable, because it can move from generic planning to concrete issue resolution.

Pair the skill with local evidence

This skill is strongest when grounded in your actual repository state. Paste snippets from package.json, lockfile conflicts, CI errors, or dependency tree output. That gives dependency-upgrade enough evidence to produce advice that is specific rather than template-like.