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alphabeticalDependencies

Ensures that all dependency blocks within a project are ordered alphabetically.

What it does​

The alphabeticalDependencies rule automatically sorts dependencies, devDependencies, peerDependencies, and optionalDependencies in alphabetical order. This creates a consistent, predictable structure that makes it easier to:

  • Find dependencies quickly when reviewing package.json files
  • Avoid duplicate dependencies during manual edits
  • Merge changes cleanly by reducing git conflicts
  • Maintain consistency across all packages in your monorepo

When to use it​

This rule is recommended for all monorepo projects as a foundational consistency rule. It's particularly valuable when:

  • Multiple developers are adding dependencies to the same packages
  • You want to prevent merge conflicts in package.json files
  • Code reviews should focus on logic, not dependency organization
  • You're migrating from manual dependency management to automated consistency

Basic usage​

import { alphabeticalDependencies } from "@monorepolint/rules";

export default {
  rules: [
    alphabeticalDependencies({}),
  ],
};

Configuration options​

Currently, this rule has no configuration options and will always sort dependencies alphabetically using case-insensitive comparison.

Real-world examples​

Example 1: Basic monorepo setup​

.monorepolint.config.mjs
import { alphabeticalDependencies, packageOrder } from "@monorepolint/rules";

export default {
  rules: [
    // Apply to all packages in the monorepo
    alphabeticalDependencies({}),
    packageOrder({}),
  ],
};

Example 2: Excluding specific packages​

.monorepolint.config.mjs
import { alphabeticalDependencies } from "@monorepolint/rules";

export default {
  rules: [
    alphabeticalDependencies({
      // Exclude generated or external packages
      excludePackages: ["generated-*", "legacy-package"],
    }),
  ],
};

Example 3: Including root workspace​

.monorepolint.config.mjs
import { alphabeticalDependencies } from "@monorepolint/rules";

export default {
  rules: [
    alphabeticalDependencies({
      // Also apply to root package.json
      includeWorkspaceRoot: true,
    }),
  ],
};

Before/After​

Before (unorganized dependencies)​

package.json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "zod": "^3.20.0",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "axios": "^1.0.0",
    "lodash": "^4.17.21"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "typescript": "^4.9.0",
    "@types/react": "^18.0.0",
    "eslint": "^8.30.0",
    "@types/node": "^18.0.0"
  }
}

After (alphabetically sorted)​

package.json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "axios": "^1.0.0",
    "lodash": "^4.17.21",
    "react": "^18.2.0",
    "zod": "^3.20.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/node": "^18.0.0",
    "@types/react": "^18.0.0",
    "eslint": "^8.30.0",
    "typescript": "^4.9.0"
  }
}

Source code​

For implementation details, see the rule source code in the monorepolint repository.