---
title: Dependency Selector Syntax & Querying
section: 7
description: Dependency Selector Syntax & Querying
---

### Description

The [`npm query`](/commands/npm-query) commmand exposes a new dependency selector syntax (informed by & respecting many aspects of the [CSS Selectors 4 Spec](https://dev.w3.org/csswg/selectors4/#relational)) which:

- Standardizes the shape of, & querying of, dependency graphs with a robust object model, metadata & selector syntax
- Leverages existing, known language syntax & operators from CSS to make disparate package information broadly accessible
- Unlocks the ability to answer complex, multi-faceted questions about dependencies, their relationships & associative metadata
- Consolidates redundant logic of similar query commands in `npm` (ex. `npm fund`, `npm ls`, `npm outdated`, `npm audit` ...)

### Dependency Selector Syntax `v1.0.0`

#### Overview:

- there is no "type" or "tag" selectors (ex. `div, h1, a`) as a dependency/target is the only type of `Node` that can be queried
- the term "dependencies" is in reference to any `Node` found in a `tree` returned by `Arborist`

#### Combinators

- `>` direct descendant/child
- ` ` any descendant/child
- `~` sibling

#### Selectors

- `*` universal selector
- `#<name>` dependency selector (equivalent to `[name="..."]`)
- `#<name>@<version>` (equivalent to `[name=<name>]:semver(<version>)`)
- `,` selector list delimiter
- `.` dependency type selector
- `:` pseudo selector

#### Dependency Type Selectors

- `.prod` dependency found in the `dependencies` section of `package.json`, or is a child of said dependency
- `.dev` dependency found in the `devDependencies` section of `package.json`, or is a child of said dependency
- `.optional` dependency found in the `optionalDependencies` section of `package.json`, or has `"optional": true` set in its entry in the `peerDependenciesMeta` section of `package.json`, or a child of said dependency
- `.peer` dependency found in the `peerDependencies` section of `package.json`
- `.workspace` dependency found in the [`workspaces`](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/using-npm/workspaces) section of `package.json`
- `.bundled` dependency found in the `bundleDependencies` section of `package.json`, or is a child of said dependency

#### Pseudo Selectors
- [`:not(<selector>)`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:not)
- [`:has(<selector>)`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:has)
- [`:is(<selector list>)`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:is)
- [`:root`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:root) matches the root node/dependency
- [`:scope`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:scope) matches node/dependency it was queried against
- [`:empty`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/:empty) when a dependency has no dependencies
- [`:private`](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/configuring-npm/package-json#private) when a dependency is private
- `:link` when a dependency is linked (for instance, workspaces or packages manually [`linked`](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v8/commands/npm-link)
- `:deduped` when a dependency has been deduped (note that this does *not* always mean the dependency has been hoisted to the root of node_modules)
- `:overridden` when a dependency has been overridden
- `:extraneous` when a dependency exists but is not defined as a dependency of any node
- `:invalid` when a dependency version is out of its ancestors specified range
- `:missing` when a dependency is not found on disk
- `:semver(<spec>, [selector], [function])` match a valid [`node-semver`](https://github.com/npm/node-semver) version or range to a selector
- `:path(<path>)` [glob](https://www.npmjs.com/package/glob) matching based on dependencies path relative to the project
- `:type(<type>)` [based on currently recognized types](https://github.com/npm/npm-package-arg#result-object)

##### `:semver(<spec>, [selector], [function])`

The `:semver()` pseudo selector allows comparing fields from each node's `package.json` using [semver](https://github.com/npm/node-semver#readme) methods. It accepts up to 3 parameters, all but the first of which are optional.

- `spec` a semver version or range
- `selector` an attribute selector for each node (default `[version]`)
- `function` a semver method to apply, one of: `satisfies`, `intersects`, `subset`, `gt`, `gte`, `gtr`, `lt`, `lte`, `ltr`, `eq`, `neq` or the special function `infer` (default `infer`)

When the special `infer` function is used the `spec` and the actual value from the node are compared. If both are versions, according to `semver.valid()`, `eq` is used. If both values are ranges, according to `!semver.valid()`, `intersects` is used. If the values are mixed types `satisfies` is used.

Some examples:

- `:semver(^1.0.0)` returns every node that has a `version` satisfied by the provided range `^1.0.0`
- `:semver(16.0.0, :attr(engines, [node]))` returns every node which has an `engines.node` property satisfying the version `16.0.0`
- `:semver(1.0.0, [version], lt)` every node with a `version` less than `1.0.0`

#### [Attribute Selectors](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Attribute_selectors)

The attribute selector evaluates the key/value pairs in `package.json` if they are `String`s.

- `[]` attribute selector (ie. existence of attribute)
- `[attribute=value]` attribute value is equivalant...
- `[attribute~=value]` attribute value contains word...
- `[attribute*=value]` attribute value contains string...
- `[attribute|=value]` attribute value is equal to or starts with...
- `[attribute^=value]` attribute value starts with...
- `[attribute$=value]` attribute value ends with...

#### `Array` & `Object` Attribute Selectors

The generic `:attr()` pseudo selector standardizes a pattern which can be used for attribute selection of `Object`s, `Array`s or `Arrays` of `Object`s accessible via `Arborist`'s `Node.package` metadata. This allows for iterative attribute selection beyond top-level `String` evaluation. The last argument passed to `:attr()` must be an `attribute` selector or a nested `:attr()`. See examples below:

#### `Objects`

```css
/* return dependencies that have a `scripts.test` containing `"tap"` */
*:attr(scripts, [test~=tap])
```

#### Nested `Objects`

Nested objects are expressed as sequential arguments to `:attr()`.

```css
/* return dependencies that have a testling config for opera browsers */
*:attr(testling, browsers, [~=opera])
```

#### `Arrays`

`Array`s specifically uses a special/reserved `.` character in place of a typical attribute name. `Arrays` also support exact `value` matching when a `String` is passed to the selector.

##### Example of an `Array` Attribute Selection:
```css
/* removes the distinction between properties & arrays */
/* ie. we'd have to check the property & iterate to match selection */
*:attr([keywords^=react])
*:attr(contributors, :attr([name~=Jordan]))
```

##### Example of an `Array` matching directly to a value:
```css
/* return dependencies that have the exact keyword "react" */
/* this is equivalent to `*:keywords([value="react"])` */
*:attr([keywords=react])
```

##### Example of an `Array` of `Object`s:
```css
/* returns */
*:attr(contributors, [email=ruyadorno@github.com])
```

### Groups

Dependency groups are defined by the package relationships to their ancestors (ie. the dependency types that are defined in `package.json`). This approach is user-centric as the ecosystem has been taught to think about dependencies in these groups first-and-foremost. Dependencies are allowed to be included in multiple groups (ex. a `prod` dependency may also be a `dev` dependency (in that it's also required by another `dev` dependency) & may also be `bundled` - a selector for that type of dependency would look like: `*.prod.dev.bundled`).

- `.prod`
- `.dev`
- `.optional`
- `.peer`
- `.bundled`
- `.workspace`

Please note that currently `workspace` deps are always `prod` dependencies.  Additionally the `.root` dependency is also considered a `prod` dependency.

### Programmatic Usage

- `Arborist`'s `Node` Class has a `.querySelectorAll()` method
  - this method will return a filtered, flattened dependency Arborist `Node` list based on a valid query selector

```js
const Arborist = require('@npmcli/arborist')
const arb = new Arborist({})
```

```js
// root-level
arb.loadActual().then(async (tree) => {
  // query all production dependencies
  const results = await tree.querySelectorAll('.prod')
  console.log(results)
})
```

```js
// iterative
arb.loadActual().then(async (tree) => {
  // query for the deduped version of react
  const results = await tree.querySelectorAll('#react:not(:deduped)')
  // query the deduped react for git deps
  const deps = await results[0].querySelectorAll(':type(git)')
  console.log(deps)
})
```

## See Also

* [npm query](/commands/npm-query)
* [@npmcli/arborist](https://npm.im/@npmcli/arborist)
