New project: generatePackageJson doesn't include tslib as a dependency

Current Behavior

When a new workspace is created with a node app (eg. express) and the generatePackageJson option is set to true, package.json is missing tslib which is required since the tsconfig.base.json that comes with a new nx workspace uses importHelpers: true. This means that when pulled into a Docker container for deployment or similar, and npm install is run, tslib is excluded, and the build will fail.

Expected Behavior

tslib should be included in the package.json file produced by the generatePackageJson option if importHelpers: true.

Steps to Reproduce

Repo that demonstrates this behaviour: https://github.com/jksaunders/nx-generate-package-json-tslib To use the example, run npm install then nx build, and observe that the generated package.json in the dist/api folder is missing tslib.

To reproduce from scratch:

• npx create-nx-workspace --preset=express
• nx g @nrwl/express:app api
• nx build
• observe that the generated package.json in the dist/api folder is missing tslib.

Failure Logs

When the built file is run in the container (eg. node ./dist/api/main.js) or locally if the top level node_modules are deleted and npm install is run within the dist/api folder then running the built file (eg. node ./dist/api/main.js):

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Error: Cannot find module 'tslib'

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Require stack:
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- /usr/src/app/main.js
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 at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:946:15)
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 at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:787:27)
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 at Module.require (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1012:19)
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 at require (node:internal/modules/cjs/helpers:102:18)
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 at Object.tslib (/usr/src/app/main.js:22:18)

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 at __webpack_require__ (/usr/src/app/main.js:46:41)
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 at /usr/src/app/main.js:59:17
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 at /usr/src/app/main.js:98:3
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 at Object.<anonymous> (/usr/src/app/main.js:103:12)
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 at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1112:14) {
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 code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
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 requireStack: [ '/usr/src/app/main.js' ]
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}

Environment

 >  NX   Report complete - copy this into the issue template

   Node : 18.3.0
   OS   : darwin x64
   npm  : 8.11.0
   
   nx : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/angular : Not Found
   @nrwl/cypress : Not Found
   @nrwl/detox : Not Found
   @nrwl/devkit : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/eslint-plugin-nx : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/express : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/jest : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/js : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/linter : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/nest : Not Found
   @nrwl/next : Not Found
   @nrwl/node : 14.3.6
   @nrwl/nx-cloud : Not Found
   @nrwl/nx-plugin : Not Found
   @nrwl/react : Not Found
   @nrwl/react-native : Not Found
   @nrwl/schematics : Not Found
   @nrwl/storybook : Not Found
   @nrwl/web : Not Found
   @nrwl/workspace : 14.3.6
   typescript : 4.7.4
   ---------------------------------------
   Community plugins:

[jksaunders]

@nartc I should clarify, it’s not actually the fault of those packages - it’s from the importHelpers: true value in the top level tsconfig.base.json, which is the default value in a newly generated Nx Express workspace. The package.json in the base generated Nx workspace comes with tslib listed as a dependency to account for this (I’m assuming) but is not included in the generated package.json generated by generatePackageJson, which I believe is not intended behaviour.

Setting importHelpers: false builds .js files that don’t require tslib, but I’m thinking there must be a way to include tslib as a dependency in the generated package.json if the loaded tsconfig at build time has includeHelpers: true, which is the current default for Nx Express workspaces. Does that make sense?

Also yes, I’m currently installing tslib separately in app’s Docker container, that is definitely a usable workaround!

[nartc]

@jksaunders Gotcha. I’m afraid in this case, transitive deps of deps aren’t inferrable by Nx (especially when both fastify and mecurius do not specify tslib anywhere in their package.json).

What you can do to workaround this is to install tslib separately in the container. Eg in a Dockerfile

FROM node:14.17-slim

WORKDIR /app

COPY ./dist/apps/api .

RUN npm install --production
# install transitive deps
RUN npm install tslib

EXPOSE 3333

CMD ["node", "./main.js"]

Would this be sufficient enough?