[RRFC] Add method for getting help on config option
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- Dominant language
- JavaScript
- Stars
- 777
- Forks
- 267
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
Motivation ("The Why")
Some configuration keys are not self-explanatory by their name. This will require someone to search up the configuration name online. A faster and simpler way that can even work offline would be to add in a help method on the npm config command in the CLI. I am aware of the npm help 7 config command, but that gives extra information for each configuration key. A method to get the help output for a single configuration key would be much more useful.
Example
$ npm config help also
- Default: null
- Type: String
When "dev" or "development" and running local npm shrinkwrap, npm outdated, or npm update, is an alias for --dev.
$ npm config help init-author-name
- Default: ""
- Type: String
The value npm init should use by default for the package author's name.
$ npm config help loglevel
- Default: "notice"
- Type: String
- Values: "silent", "error", "warn", "notice", "http", "timing", "info", "verbose", "silly"
What level of logs to report. On failure, all logs are written to npm-debug.log in the current working directory.
Any logs of a higher level than the setting are shown. The default is "notice".
$ npm config --help
npm config set <key> <value>
npm config get [<key>]
npm config delete <key>
npm config help <key>
npm config list [--json]
npm config edit
npm set <key> <value>
npm get [<key>]
alias: c
As seen above, the help output gives details on the key.
How
- Store the help output that will have to be returned for each key
- Log the output when the CLI asks for it
Current Behaviour
No help command on config.
Desired Behaviour
There is a help command on config.
References
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the npm config CLI entry point and the referenced npm config documentation. Determine how configuration-key help is stored and how the command should format and return one key's details, including unknown-key behavior. Done means npm config help provides the requested details and npm config --help documents the command.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- javascript
- Domain
- cli
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100