optional packages

[archmoj]

This PR adds optional packages info which may help improve the build times.
@etpinard

[etpinard]

I'm thinking about reverting this PR. On [email protected], checking master and npm i give me this diff:

diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 9bc5dd983..5a6f79645 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3907,14 +3907,12 @@
         "balanced-match": {
           "version": "1.0.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "brace-expansion": {
           "version": "1.1.11",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "balanced-match": "^1.0.0",
             "concat-map": "0.0.1"
@@ -3929,20 +3927,17 @@
         "code-point-at": {
           "version": "1.1.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "concat-map": {
           "version": "0.0.1",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "console-control-strings": {
           "version": "1.1.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "core-util-is": {
           "version": "1.0.2",
@@ -4059,8 +4054,7 @@
         "inherits": {
           "version": "2.0.3",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "ini": {
           "version": "1.3.5",
@@ -4072,7 +4066,6 @@
           "version": "1.0.0",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "number-is-nan": "^1.0.0"
           }
@@ -4087,7 +4080,6 @@
           "version": "3.0.4",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "brace-expansion": "^1.1.7"
           }
@@ -4095,14 +4087,12 @@
         "minimist": {
           "version": "0.0.8",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "minipass": {
           "version": "2.2.4",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "safe-buffer": "^5.1.1",
             "yallist": "^3.0.0"
@@ -4121,7 +4111,6 @@
           "version": "0.5.1",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "minimist": "0.0.8"
           }
@@ -4202,8 +4191,7 @@
         "number-is-nan": {
           "version": "1.0.1",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true,
-          "optional": true
+          "dev": true
         },
         "object-assign": {
           "version": "4.1.1",
@@ -4215,7 +4203,6 @@
           "version": "1.4.0",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "wrappy": "1"
           }
@@ -4337,7 +4324,6 @@
           "version": "1.0.2",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
-          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "code-point-at": "^1.0.0",
             "is-fullwidth-code-point": "^1.0.0",

Searching about the problem doesn't point to a solution:

• https://npm.community/t/package-lock-json-keeps-changing-between-platforms-and-runs/1129/13
• https://npm.community/t/package-lock-json-is-not-complete-on-first-run-for-some-modules/1817/8
• npm install --production adds a bunch of "optional": trues in package-lock.json npm/npm#20934

[alexcjohnson]

At least by line count, that diff is the same as this PR and the same as what I saw in #3211, using [email protected]. So I'm in favor of reverting.

[alexcjohnson]

haha we've accidentally done this several times already...

• optional packages #3184 added these optional flags
• then Right alignments in scatter3d #3180 removed them (but we didn't notice)
• then Few more optional packages in lock #3202 replicates optional packages #3184 line for line

As long as we can get to a stable situation where we can all run npm i without changing package-lock we should do that - and it seems like we CAN be stable without the optional lines but we CANNOT with them. So let's revert.

[archmoj]

These two links might be relevant:
npm/npm#17722
dependabot/feedback#197
@etpinard on linux could you please test if by removing node_modules folder and then npm cache clean --force you may get any diff in the lock?

[alexcjohnson]

Alright, I think we've gotten to a clear OS difference: I'm now on [email protected] and [email protected] - same as @archmoj on linux - and no matter what I do (even rm -rf node_modules and npm cache clean --force before npm i) these particular optional lines get 🔪

[archmoj]

I also tested this on Windows using [email protected] and [email protected]. I cloned master. I removed npm cache and then npm i gives me those optional packages.

[etpinard]

then npm i gives me those optional packages.

Could you clarify here? npm i on the current master modifies the package-lock.json or not?

[archmoj]

It gives me those optional packages that are already in the file (plus few more). So it does modify the package-lick.json.

[degrootestad]

I'm currently having this issue, but can only contribute from a npm user context.
My perception is that re-installing from scratch (with cleaned cache) gives me the "optional": true attributes. When running npm i another time removes them ... does this ring any bells with any of you?