Update All Dependencies

Update all npm dependencies across the frontend (current repo) and backend projects. This skill handles the full update workflow including changelog review, code impact analysis, testing, and summarization.

Step 0: Ask for backend directory

Ask the user for the backend project directory path. Do NOT hardcode any path. Example prompt:

Please provide the backend project directory path (e.g., /path/to/backend).

Wait for the user's response before proceeding. Save the path as BACKEND_DIR for later use.

Step 1: Analyze current dependencies

Frontend (current repo)

1. Run pnpm outdated --recursive in the current repo root to identify all outdated dependencies.
2. Save the full output for later analysis.

Backend

1. Run pnpm outdated --recursive in BACKEND_DIR to identify all outdated dependencies.
2. Save the full output for later analysis.

Present the user with a summary of how many dependencies are outdated in each project.

Step 2: Update dependencies

Strategy

Update in two phases to isolate issues:

Phase 1 — Patch and minor updates (safer):

From the pnpm outdated output, identify all dependencies where the update is a patch or minor version bump. Update them in batch:

1. Frontend: For each patch/minor outdated package, run pnpm update <package>@latest --recursive in the repo root.
2. Backend: For each patch/minor outdated package, run pnpm update <package>@latest --recursive in BACKEND_DIR.

Why @latest? Both projects use save-exact=true, so versions are pinned without ^ or ~. Without --latest, pnpm update only resolves within the existing range, which for exact versions is a no-op.

Phase 2 — Major updates (requires careful review):

For each dependency with a major version update available:

1. Identify the dependency name, current version, and latest version.
2. Read the changelog (Step 3) before updating.
3. Only update after confirming no blocking breaking changes.
4. Use pnpm update <package>@latest --recursive to update specific packages.

Important pnpm workspace notes:

• The frontend project uses pnpm catalog in pnpm-workspace.yaml for some shared versions. If a dependency is managed via catalog, update the version in pnpm-workspace.yaml instead of individual package.json files.
• Both projects use save-exact=true, so versions are pinned without ^ or ~.
• Check patchedDependencies in pnpm-workspace.yaml or package.json — if a patched dependency is being updated, verify the patch still applies or remove it if no longer needed.

Step 3: Review changelogs for major updates

For each dependency with a major version update, you MUST read the changelog before updating.

How to find changelogs

Use these methods in order of preference:

1. npm registry: Run npm view <package> repository.url to find the repo, then check for CHANGELOG.md or GitHub releases.
2. GitHub releases: Search https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/releases using WebFetch.
3. Web search: Use WebSearch to find <package> changelog <old-version> to <new-version>.

What to look for

• Breaking changes: API removals, renamed exports, changed defaults, dropped Node.js version support.
• Deprecated features: Features being removed in future versions.
• Migration guides: Official upgrade instructions.
• Peer dependency changes: New or changed peer dependency requirements.

Document findings

For each major update, record:

• Package name and version change (e.g., foo: 2.x → 3.x)
• Breaking changes summary
• Whether our code is affected (and how)

Step 4: Check affected code

For each dependency with breaking changes identified in Step 3:

1. Use Grep to find all imports and usages of the affected package across the relevant project (frontend or backend).
2. Read the files containing usages.
3. Compare the usage against the breaking change description.
4. If our code uses an affected API:
   • Attempt to fix the code following the migration guide.
   • If the fix is complex or risky, skip updating this dependency and note it in the summary.
5. If our code does NOT use any affected API, proceed with the update.

Step 5: Run tests and checks

After all updates are applied:

Frontend

Run these commands sequentially in the repo root and capture results:

pnpm install
pnpm typecheck
pnpm test
pnpm lint

Backend

Run these commands sequentially in BACKEND_DIR and capture results:

pnpm install
pnpm typecheck
pnpm test
pnpm lint

Handle failures

• TypeScript errors: Read the error output, identify which updated dependency caused the issue, and fix the type errors. If unfixable, revert that specific dependency update.
• Test failures: Analyze the failure, check if it's related to a dependency update, and fix or revert.
• Lint errors: Run pnpm lint:fix first. If issues persist, fix manually or revert the causing update.

Repeat the test cycle until all checks pass.

Step 6: Summary

Present the user with a comprehensive summary:

Update report

## Dependencies Updated

### Frontend
- <package>: <old-version> → <new-version> (patch/minor/major)
- ...

### Backend
- <package>: <old-version> → <new-version> (patch/minor/major)
- ...

## Skipped Updates (with reasons)
- <package>: <reason why not updated>
- ...

## Key Changelog Highlights

### Breaking Changes Applied
- <package> <version>: <what changed and how we adapted>

### Notable New Features
- <package> <version>: <brief description>

### Deprecation Warnings
- <package> <version>: <what's deprecated and timeline>

## Test Results
- Frontend typecheck: ✅/❌
- Frontend tests: ✅/❌
- Frontend lint: ✅/❌
- Backend typecheck: ✅/❌
- Backend tests: ✅/❌
- Backend lint: ✅/❌

Ask the user if they want to commit the changes.