[RRFC] Topological Sort

Motivation ("The Why")

I got this idea from a github issue.

Example

I am proposing that we add a sorting algorithm for ordering the graph traversal of npm commands that operate on the dependency graph express by a workspace.

A fully configured example in package.json might be as follows

{
  "workspaces": [
    "workspaces/transitive-dependency",
    "workspaces/dependency",
    "workspaces/dependent"
  ],
  "workspaces-sort": {
    "algorithm": "topological-parallel",
    "include": [
      "dependencies",
      "bundleDependencies",
      "devDependencies",
      "optionalDependencies",
      "peerDependencies"
    ]
  }
}

And a user might use it at the command-line as follows

npm rn test --workspaces --workspaces-sort-algorithm=topological-parallel --workspaces-sort-include=dev,bundle,optional,peeru

How

Current Behaviour

Currently, developers maintain a valid sort order manually in package.json, in the form of an ordered array in the workspaces key.

Desired Behaviour

Developers could list workspaces in any order, while still operating on packages in the order required for correctness.

References

• early draft

Start with the linked early draft at accepted/0000-topological-sort.md and compare it with the issue's package.json and command-line examples. Clarify the proposed sorting algorithm, dependency categories, and command behavior; done means the RFC has an agreed, implementable specification.