Read umbraco-package.json from child directories.

[markadrake]

I'm exploring the Umbraco 14 RC and writing an RCL library.

I noticed if my app-plugins directory has this composition, that the umbraco-package.json is ignored.

• app_plugins
  • package
    • module
      • umbraco-package.json ignored
    • umbraco-package.json

This may be the code responsible.

[iOvergaard]

Hi, this was my decision, so going to address it here 🙋‍♂️

We noticed this was a thing in Umbraco 13 and earlier -- it would pick up the then package.manifest file from an unlimited amount of subfolders. Then people started putting their node_modules folder inside app_plugins and boot-up performance went down the drain (we cache the files, but still, what if one of your node_modules also publishes such a file?).

We decided it would make sense if the new umbraco-package.json file would only be picked up from either the root of the app_plugins folder or one level down (i.e. in a package folder).

We could potentially introduce another level, so this would work:

App_Plugins/
  - Package/
    - Module/
      - umbraco-package.json

Could you perhaps share your thoughts towards the use-case of this, @markadrake?

[markadrake]

@iOvergaard Wow, the things you and your team have to deal with! I can't believe people are publishing the node_modules directory here. I would have never thought of that. 😭

Thank you for confirming that this method did work in previous versions! I'm new to writing RCL packages and thought it was something I may have done to myself.

I can compromise–knowing now of the performance issue you described. I recently published some of the packages I was working on and the route I took was to merge the package and module name so there's only one folder now.

I like to "namespace" my App_Plugins directory:

App_Plugins/
     - Humble.Umbraco/
          - CustomBackofficeIcons/
          - SVGHelpers/
          - ... (etc)

Do you think enough people are going to try placing their umbraco-package.json in child folders that an update to this page would be helpful?

Thanks again for your time and consideration @iOvergaard!

[skttl]

Another possible solution could be having an index file in the root folder, containing paths to all umbraco-package.json files found further down in the tree.

[iOvergaard]

@markadrake The article you mentioned has just today been updated with the new format including a sentence about the file having to be a maximum of two levels down.

[iOvergaard]

I also included a paragraph on writing your own IPackageManifestReader, if you want to customize where the files are found. Hope that makes sense! 👍