Why `@google-cloud/storage` is listed as an optional dependency? #1605

northern-mindset · 2022-03-16T18:39:18Z

northern-mindset
Mar 16, 2022

I just wonder why this package is listed as an optional dependency, and not a usual dependency.

I suspect that because of this the @google-cloud/storage package does not actually get upgraded in my package-lock.json file even after upgrading firebase-admin. For example, I have upgraded to firebase-admin@10.0.2 which has bumped own dependency on @google-cloud/storage from 5.17.0 to 5.18.0 in #1551, but I have found out that in my package-lock.json it is still 5.14.4!

Answered by lahirumaramba

Jan 16, 2023

@akauppi's answer above is correct.
@google-cloud/storage and @google-cloud/firestore are optional by design. Developers relying on other APIs of the SDK can safely remove those dependencies if they are concerned about the SDK size etc. A fresh install of firebase-admin should pull the latest release (minor or patch version in the major version referenced in package.json) of the optional dependencies, but if you already have a package-lock file explicitly adding those dependencies or manually upgrading is the way to keep them updated. Just make sure firebase-admin is compatible with the version you use.

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akauppi · 2022-07-17T08:10:38Z

akauppi
Jul 17, 2022

I think it's by design, but have not noticed it being mentioned in the Changelogs (I read them meticulously). It did change, at one point.

But about "why"... I don't work for Firebase, but I think the intention is to make also the firebase-admin side more modular. If you don't use Firestore / Storage (this approach applies also to @google-cloud/firestore), those libraries are not automatically pulled in. This makes installing the library lighter. For example, I don't use storage.

I generally like the approach. Only it deserves to be documented so that it doesn't cause surprises for us developers. Namely, sometimes the necessary library is brought in other ways, and things seem to work...

Relevant source link

2 replies

akauppi Jul 17, 2022

p.s. Whether optional dependencies are pulled in also depends on which npm version you use (or other such package tool). Some versions tended to pull optional dependencies, unless instructed otherwise.

I tried with npm 8.12.1 (below) and it seems to also pull them in. What I do know is with CloudFunctions (functions/package.json) I've needed to explicitly add @google-cloud/firestore to it, for things to work.

$ npm install firebase-admin

added 132 packages, changed 2 packages, and audited 240 packages in 11s

10 packages are looking for funding
  run `npm fund` for details

found 0 vulnerabilities
$ npm list @google-cloud/firestore
asko@ /Users/asko
└─┬ firebase-admin@11.0.0
  └── @google-cloud/firestore@5.0.2

northern-mindset Jan 14, 2023
Author

Yes, adding explicit dependency seems to be the way.

lahirumaramba · 2023-01-16T19:57:34Z

lahirumaramba
Jan 16, 2023
Maintainer

@akauppi's answer above is correct.
@google-cloud/storage and @google-cloud/firestore are optional by design. Developers relying on other APIs of the SDK can safely remove those dependencies if they are concerned about the SDK size etc. A fresh install of firebase-admin should pull the latest release (minor or patch version in the major version referenced in package.json) of the optional dependencies, but if you already have a package-lock file explicitly adding those dependencies or manually upgrading is the way to keep them updated. Just make sure firebase-admin is compatible with the version you use.

3 replies

northern-mindset Jan 17, 2023
Author

A few questions on this to make sure I understand you right.

How would a developer remove those packages installed by a “fresh install of firebase-admin”?
How does one “manually upgrade“ these optional dependencies without explicitly adding them to own package.json?
Would installing a new version of firebase-admin that requires a newer version of, say, @google-cloud/storage upgrade the latter as well? Provided @google-cloud/storage is not added explicitly as dependency in my package.json.

lahirumaramba Jan 31, 2023
Maintainer

Good question. I don't know if there is an easy way to remove a transitive dependency (you probably have to cleanup your node_modules directory), but you can skip the optional dependencies when you install a package with --omit=optional. For firebase-admin you can run: npm install firebase-admin --omit=optional.
You need to add them to the package.json with the version info so your production environment knows what version to install. Also see https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/configuring-npm/package-json#overrides
Yes, if the new version of firebase-admin is shipped with a new version of the optional dependencies (updated version in package.json).

northern-mindset Nov 22, 2023
Author

Developers relying on other APIs of the SDK can safely remove those dependencies if they are concerned about the SDK size etc.

It seems that this path does not work, actually. I've removed the @google-cloud/firestore package from my lock file, there is no use of it in the project, and I'm getting the following error from firebase-tools on functions:shell or deploy:

Error: Cannot find module '@google-cloud/firestore/build/src/path'
Require stack:
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-admin\lib\firestore\index.js
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-functions\lib\common\providers\firestore.js       
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-functions\lib\v1\providers\firestore.js
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-functions\lib\v1\index.js
- C:\repo\lib\index.js
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-functions\lib\runtime\loader.js
- C:\repo\node_modules\firebase-functions\lib\bin\firebase-functions.js

@lahirumaramba is it by design? If not, do you suggest filing a bug in this repo or in the firebase-functions one?

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Why @google-cloud/storage is listed as an optional dependency? #1605

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northern-mindset Nov 22, 2023 Author

Why `@google-cloud/storage` is listed as an optional dependency? #1605

northern-mindset
Mar 16, 2022

Replies: 2 comments 5 replies

akauppi
Jul 17, 2022

northern-mindset Jan 14, 2023
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lahirumaramba
Jan 16, 2023
Maintainer

northern-mindset Jan 17, 2023
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lahirumaramba Jan 31, 2023
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northern-mindset Nov 22, 2023
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