dependency-updater

★ 2,144

by softaworks · part of softaworks/agent-toolkit

Smart dependency management for any language. Auto-detects project type, applies safe updates automatically, prompts for major versions, diagnoses and fixes dependency issues.

🧩 One of 7 skills in the softaworks/agent-toolkit package — works on its own, and pairs well with its siblings.

This is the playbook your agent receives when the skill activates — you don't need to read it to use the skill, but it's here to audit before installing.

Dependency Updater

Smart dependency management for any language with automatic detection and safe updates.

Triggers

Trigger	Example
Update dependencies	"update dependencies", "update deps"
Check outdated	"check for outdated packages"
Fix dependency issues	"fix my dependency problems"
Security audit	"audit dependencies for vulnerabilities"
Diagnose deps	"diagnose dependency issues"

Supported Languages

Language	Package File	Update Tool	Audit Tool
Node.js	package.json	`taze`	`npm audit`
Python	requirements.txt, pyproject.toml	`pip-review`	`safety`, `pip-audit`
Go	go.mod	`go get -u`	`govulncheck`
Rust	Cargo.toml	`cargo update`	`cargo audit`
Ruby	Gemfile	`bundle update`	`bundle audit`
Java	pom.xml, build.gradle	`mvn versions:*`	`mvn dependency:*`
.NET	*.csproj	`dotnet outdated`	`dotnet list package --vulnerable`

Quick Reference

Update Type	Version Change	Action
Fixed	No `^` or `~`	Skip (intentionally pinned)
PATCH	`x.y.z` → `x.y.Z`	Auto-apply
MINOR	`x.y.z` → `x.Y.0`	Auto-apply
MAJOR	`x.y.z` → `X.0.0`	Prompt user individually

Workflow

User Request
    │
    ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Step 1: DETECT PROJECT TYPE                         │
│ • Scan for package files (package.json, go.mod...) │
│ • Identify package manager                          │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 2: CHECK PREREQUISITES                         │
│ • Verify required tools are installed               │
│ • Suggest installation if missing                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 3: SCAN FOR UPDATES                            │
│ • Run language-specific outdated check              │
│ • Categorize: MAJOR / MINOR / PATCH / Fixed         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 4: AUTO-APPLY SAFE UPDATES                     │
│ • Apply MINOR and PATCH automatically               │
│ • Report what was updated                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 5: PROMPT FOR MAJOR UPDATES                    │
│ • AskUserQuestion for each MAJOR update             │
│ • Show current → new version                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 6: APPLY APPROVED MAJORS                       │
│ • Update only approved packages                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Step 7: FINALIZE                                    │
│ • Run install command                               │
│ • Run security audit                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Commands by Language

Node.js (npm/yarn/pnpm)

# Check prerequisites
scripts/check-tool.sh taze "npm install -g taze"

# Scan for updates
taze

# Apply minor/patch
taze minor --write

# Apply specific majors
taze major --write --include pkg1,pkg2

# Monorepo support
taze -r  # recursive

# Security
npm audit
npm audit fix

Python

# Check outdated
pip list --outdated

# Update all (careful!)
pip-review --auto

# Update specific
pip install --upgrade package-name

# Security
pip-audit
safety check

Go

# Check outdated
go list -m -u all

# Update all
go get -u ./...

# Tidy up
go mod tidy

# Security
govulncheck ./...

Rust

# Check outdated
cargo outdated

# Update within semver
cargo update

# Security
cargo audit

Ruby

# Check outdated
bundle outdated

# Update all
bundle update

# Update specific
bundle update --conservative gem-name

# Security
bundle audit

Java (Maven)

# Check outdated
mvn versions:display-dependency-updates

# Update to latest
mvn versions:use-latest-releases

# Security
mvn dependency:tree
mvn dependency-check:check

.NET

# Check outdated
dotnet list package --outdated

# Update specific
dotnet add package PackageName

# Security
dotnet list package --vulnerable

Diagnosis Mode

When dependencies are broken, run diagnosis:

Common Issues & Fixes

Issue	Symptoms	Fix
Version Conflict	"Cannot resolve dependency tree"	Clean install, use overrides/resolutions
Peer Dependency	"Peer dependency not satisfied"	Install required peer version
Security Vuln	`npm audit` shows issues	`npm audit fix` or manual update
Unused Deps	Bloated bundle	Run `depcheck` (Node) or equivalent
Duplicate Deps	Multiple versions installed	Run `npm dedupe` or equivalent

Emergency Fixes

# Node.js - Nuclear reset
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm cache clean --force
npm install

# Python - Clean virtualenv
rm -rf venv
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Go - Reset modules
rm go.sum
go mod tidy

Security Audit

Run security checks for any project:

# Node.js
npm audit
npm audit --json | jq '.metadata.vulnerabilities'

# Python
pip-audit
safety check

# Go
govulncheck ./...

# Rust
cargo audit

# Ruby
bundle audit

# .NET
dotnet list package --vulnerable

Severity Response

Severity	Action
Critical	Fix immediately
High	Fix within 24h
Moderate	Fix within 1 week
Low	Fix in next release

Anti-Patterns

Avoid	Why	Instead
Update fixed versions	Intentionally pinned	Skip them
Auto-apply MAJOR	Breaking changes	Prompt user
Batch MAJOR prompts	Loses context	Prompt individually
Skip lock file	Irreproducible builds	Always commit lock files
Ignore security alerts	Vulnerabilities	Address by severity

Verification Checklist

After updates:

Deep Dive: Project Detection

The skill auto-detects project type by scanning for package files:

File Found	Language	Package Manager
`package.json`	Node.js	npm/yarn/pnpm
`requirements.txt`	Python	pip
`pyproject.toml`	Python	pip/poetry
`Pipfile`	Python	pipenv
`go.mod`	Go	go modules
`Cargo.toml`	Rust	cargo
`Gemfile`	Ruby	bundler
`pom.xml`	Java	Maven
`build.gradle`	Java/Kotlin	Gradle
`*.csproj`	.NET	dotnet

Detection order matters for monorepos:

Check current directory first
Then check for workspace/monorepo patterns
Offer to run recursively if applicable

Deep Dive: Node.js with taze

Prerequisites

# Install taze globally (recommended)
npm install -g taze

# Or use npx
npx taze

Smart Update Flow

# 1. Scan all updates
taze

# 2. Apply safe updates (minor + patch)
taze minor --write

# 3. For each major, prompt user:
#    "Update @types/node from ^20.0.0 to ^22.0.0?"
#    If yes, add to approved list

# 4. Apply approved majors
taze major --write --include approved-pkg1,approved-pkg2

# 5. Install
npm install  # or pnpm install / yarn

Auto-Approve List

Some packages have frequent major bumps but are backward-compatible:

Package	Reason
`lucide-react`	Icon library, majors are additive
`@types/*`	Type definitions, usually safe

Deep Dive: Version Strategies

Semantic Versioning

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (e.g., 2.3.1)

MAJOR: Breaking changes - requires code changes
MINOR: New features - backward compatible
PATCH: Bug fixes - backward compatible

Range Specifiers

Specifier	Meaning	Example
`^1.2.3`	Minor + Patch OK	`>=1.2.3 <2.0.0`
`~1.2.3`	Patch only	`>=1.2.3 <1.3.0`
`1.2.3`	Exact (fixed)	Only `1.2.3`
`>=1.2.3`	At least	Any `>=1.2.3`
`*`	Any	Latest (dangerous)

Recommended Strategy

{
  "dependencies": {
    "critical-lib": "1.2.3",      // Exact for critical
    "stable-lib": "~1.2.3",       // Patch only for stable
    "modern-lib": "^1.2.3"        // Minor OK for active
  }
}

Deep Dive: Conflict Resolution

Node.js Conflicts

Diagnosis:

npm ls package-name      # See dependency tree
npm explain package-name # Why installed
yarn why package-name    # Yarn equivalent

Resolution with overrides:

// package.json
{
  "overrides": {
    "lodash": "^4.18.0"
  }
}

Resolution with resolutions (Yarn):

{
  "resolutions": {
    "lodash": "^4.18.0"
  }
}

Python Conflicts