Home / cli / PUBLISHING

Publishing create-larc-app to npm

Prerequisites

  • npm account - Create one at https://www.npmjs.com/signup
  • npm CLI - Should be installed with Node.js
  • npm login - Run npm login and enter your credentials

    • Pre-Publishing Checklist

    • [x] Package.json configured
    • [x] README.md created
    • [x] LICENSE file added
    • [x] .npmignore configured
    • [x] Bin files are executable (chmod +x bin/*.js)
    • [x] All dependencies listed
    • [ ] Test locally with npm link

    Testing Locally

    Before publishing, test the CLI locally:

    # In the cli directory
npm link

# Test create-larc-app command
create-larc-app test-app --yes

# Test larc command
cd test-app
larc --version

# Unlink when done testing
npm unlink -g create-larc-app

    Publishing Steps

    1. Verify Package Contents

    # See what will be published
npm pack --dry-run

    This shows which files will be included in the package.

    2. Version Check

    Ensure the version in package.json is correct:

    • First release: 1.0.0
    • Bug fixes: increment patch (1.0.x)
    • New features: increment minor (1.x.0)
    • Breaking changes: increment major (x.0.0)

    3. Login to npm

    npm login

    Enter your credentials when prompted.

    4. Publish

    # For first release (public package)
npm publish --access public

# For subsequent releases
npm publish

    5. Verify Publication

    # Check on npm
https://www.npmjs.com/package/create-larc-app

# Test installation
npx create-larc-app my-test-app

    Post-Publishing

  • Tag the release in git:
    • git tag v1.0.0
   git push origin v1.0.0
  • Create GitHub release:
    • - Go to GitHub repository - Create new release - Use version tag - Add release notes
  • Update documentation:
    • - Add installation instructions - Update version numbers in README

    Updating the Package

    When you need to publish updates:

    # Update version
npm version patch  # or minor, major

# Publish
npm publish

# Push tags
git push --follow-tags

    Scoped Package (Alternative)

    If you want to publish under an org scope:

    {
  "name": "@larcjs/create-larc-app"
}

    Then publish with: 

    npm publish --access public

    Troubleshooting

    "Package name already taken"

    • Choose a different name or
    • Use a scoped package: @yourusername/create-larc-app

    "Permission denied"

    • Ensure you're logged in: npm whoami
    • Check you have publish rights

    "Files not included"

    • Check files field in package.json
    • Check .npmignore
    • Use npm pack --dry-run to verify

    Success Checklist

    After publishing:

    • [ ] Package visible on npmjs.com
    • [ ] npx create-larc-app works globally
    • [ ] npm install create-larc-app works
    • [ ] All commands work (larc dev, larc add, etc.)
    • [ ] README displays correctly on npm
    • [ ] GitHub release created
    • [ ] Documentation updated

    Support

    If you encounter issues:

    • Check npm docs: https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/publish
    • npm support: https://www.npmjs.com/support