Definition and Basic Principles of Monorepo

Definition of Monorepo

A software development strategy that stores multiple projects in a single version control repository.

Basic Principle of Monorepo: npm symbolic link

Through npm symbolic links, other projects in the same repository can be used as npm modules.

Creating npm symbolic links

Step 1. Create the my-core package

Create the my-core package in the project root.

$ mkdir my-core
$ cd my-core
$ npm init

Create an index.js file in the my-core folder and write the following code:

module.exports = (a, b) => a + b

Step 2. Create the my-repo package

Create the my-repo package in the project root.

$ mkdir my-repo
$ cd my-repo
$ npm init

Create an index.js file in the my-repo folder and write the following code:

const sum = require('my-core')
console.log(sum(1, 2))

Step 3. Set up npm symbolic links

npm link sets up a symbolic link based on the package name of the folder.

$ cd my-core
$ npm link # Set up symbolic link

Step 4. Install npm symbolic links

npm link <package> installs the registered symbolic link. It is installed in the node_modules folder like other packages.

$ cd my-repo
$ npm link my-core # Install symbolic link

After installing the symbolic link, you can see the following result when you run index.js:

$ node index.js // 3