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name: npm-search description: Search for npm packages to solve problems instead of writing custom code. Use when the user needs functionality that likely exists as a package, or when evaluating whether to build vs. use an existing solution.

NPM Search

Before writing custom code to solve a problem, check if an npm package already exists. This saves time, reduces bugs, and leverages community-tested solutions.

When to use this skill

• The project has a package.json file and uses NPM/Node
• User asks for functionality that sounds like a common problem (date formatting, validation, HTTP requests, etc.)
• You're about to write > 100 lines of utility code
• A package that solves the problem is not already in package.json
• User explicitly asks to find a package

How to search

Run npm search with relevant keywords:

Copynpm search <keywords> --long

The --long flag shows additional details including description, author, date, version, and keywords.

Search tips

• Use multiple keywords to narrow results: npm search date format timezone --long
• Try synonyms if initial search yields poor results
• Search for the problem, not the solution (e.g., "csv parse" not "string split comma")

Evaluating packages

When presenting options to the user, consider:

1. Popularity - Higher download counts generally indicate reliability and community support
2. Maintenance - Check the publish date; prefer packages updated within the last year
3. Fit - Does it solve the exact problem without excessive overhead?

Present to user

When the user is looking for a package, include:

• Package name
• Description
• Version
• Weekly downloads (if available via npm view <pkg> --json)
• Last publish date
• License

Acceptable trade-offs

For niche problems, less popular or less recently maintained packages are acceptable if:

• They solve the specific problem well
• No better alternatives exist
• The code is simple enough to fork/maintain if needed

Example workflow

1. User asks: "I need to validate email addresses"
2. Check if a package is already in package.json. If not:
   1. Search: npm search email validate --long
   2. Evaluate top results for popularity and maintenance
   3. Recommend 1-3 options with rationale
   4. If user approves, install with npm install --save-exact <package> (or --save-dev if it's a dev dependency)