# update-check
This is a very minimal approach to update checking for [globally installed](https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/installing-npm-packages-globally) packages.
Because it's so simple, the error surface is very tiny and your user's are guaranteed to receive the update message if there's a new version.
You can read more about the reasoning behind this project [here](https://twitter.com/notquiteleo/status/983193273224200192).
## Usage
Firstly, install the package with [yarn](https://yarnpkg.com/en/)...
```bash
yarn add update-check
```
...or [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/):
```bash
npm install update-check
```
Next, initialize it.
If there's a new update available, the package will return the content of latest version's `package.json` file:
```js
const pkg = require('./package');
const checkForUpdate = require('update-check');
let update = null;
try {
update = await checkForUpdate(pkg);
} catch (err) {
console.error(`Failed to check for updates: ${err}`);
}
if (update) {
console.log(`The latest version is ${update.latest}. Please update!`);
}
```
That's it! You're done.
### Configuration
If you want, you can also pass options to customize the package's behavior:
```js
const pkg = require('./package');
const checkForUpdate = require('update-check');
let update = null;
try {
update = await checkForUpdate(pkg, {
interval: 3600000, // For how long to cache latest version (default: 1 day)
distTag: 'canary' // A npm distribution tag for comparision (default: 'latest')
});
} catch (err) {
console.error(`Failed to check for updates: ${err}`);
}
if (update) {
console.log(`The latest version is ${update.latest}. Please update!`);
}
```
## Contributing
1. [Fork](https://help.github.com/articles/fork-a-repo/) this repository to your own GitHub account and then [clone](https://help.github.com/articles/cloning-a-repository/) it to your local device
2. Link the package to the global module directory: `npm link`
3. Within the module you want to test your local development instance of the package, just link it: `npm link update-check`. Instead of the default one from npm, node will now use your clone.
## Author
Leo Lamprecht ([@notquiteleo](https://twitter.com/notquiteleo)) - [ZEIT](https://zeit.co)