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The PM-Auto configuration file defines reusable package presets that you can install with a single command. This page documents the complete schema, field types, and validation rules.

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Configuration file format

PM-Auto uses a JSON configuration file where each top-level key represents a preset. You register the config path with: 
pm-auto config ./config.json

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Schema overview

The configuration file is a JSON object where each key is a preset identifier, and each value conforms to the ConfigType interface.

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TypeScript interfaces

interface ConfigType {
  presetName: string;
  description?: string;
  packageManager: string;
  packages: PackageType[];
}

interface PackageType {
  command: string;
  interactive: boolean;
  dev?: boolean;
  flags?: string[];
  version?: string;
}

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Preset-level fields

Each preset in your configuration must include these fields:
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presetName
string
required
The name you use to reference this preset in CLI commands. Must match the parent key in the JSON structure.
pm-auto install <presetName>
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description
string
Human-readable description of what this preset installs. Displayed in pm-auto list and pm-auto describe commands.
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packageManager
string
required
The package manager to use for all installations in this preset.Valid values:
  • npm
  • pnpm
  • yarn
  • bun
PM-Auto will execute all commands using the specified package manager’s syntax.
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packages
array
required
Ordered list of packages to install. PM-Auto executes these commands sequentially in the order defined.Each item must be a PackageType object (see package-level fields below).

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Package-level fields

Each object in the packages array represents a single install command:
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command
string
required
The package name or CLI tool to install. Can be:
  • A single package: "react"
  • Multiple packages: "react react-dom"
  • A scoped package: "@types/node"
  • An executable tool: "create-next-app"
​
interactive
boolean
required
Indicates whether this command prompts for user input during installation.Set to true for:
  • create-next-app
  • shadcn init
  • Any tool that requires interactive prompts
Set to false for:
  • Standard package installations
  • Non-interactive commands
If you set interactive: false for a command that prompts for input, the installation will hang indefinitely.
​
dev
boolean
default:"false"
Install as a development dependency.
  • true: Adds -D or --save-dev flag
  • false or omitted: Installs as regular dependency
Example output:
npm install typescript -D
​
version
string
Specific version to install. Can be:
  • Exact version: "3.11.4"
  • Version range: "^5.0.0"
  • Tag: "latest" or "next"
If omitted, installs the latest stable version.Example output:
npm install [email protected]
​
flags
string[]
Additional CLI flags or arguments to append to the install command.Examples:
  • ["."] - Install in current directory
  • ["init"] - Run init command
  • ["--peer-deps"] - Include peer dependencies
  • ["--legacy-peer-deps"] - Use legacy peer deps resolution
Flags are appended in the order specified.

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Validation rules

PM-Auto validates your configuration when you run commands:
  1. Required fields: presetName, packageManager, and packages must be present
  2. Package manager: Must be one of: npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun
  3. Packages array: Must contain at least one package entry
  4. Package fields: Each package must have command and interactive fields
  5. JSON syntax: File must be valid JSON (no trailing commas, comments must be removed)
Always re-register your config path after making changes:
pm-auto config ./config.json

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Complete example

Here’s a comprehensive example showing all available fields: 
{
  "fullstack-app": {
    "presetName": "fullstack-app",
    "description": "Complete Next.js fullstack setup with TypeScript and UI tools",
    "packageManager": "bun",
    "packages": [
      {
        "command": "create-next-app",
        "interactive": true,
        "dev": false,
        "version": "latest",
        "flags": ["."]
      },
      {
        "command": "shadcn",
        "interactive": true,
        "dev": false,
        "version": "latest",
        "flags": ["init"]
      },
      {
        "command": "gsap",
        "interactive": false,
        "dev": false,
        "version": "3.11.4",
        "flags": ["--peer-deps"]
      },
      {
        "command": "@react-three/fiber",
        "interactive": false,
        "dev": false
      },
      {
        "command": "clsx tailwind-merge",
        "interactive": false,
        "dev": false
      },
      {
        "command": "@types/three",
        "interactive": false,
        "dev": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "express-api": {
    "presetName": "express-api",
    "description": "Express TypeScript API backend",
    "packageManager": "npm",
    "packages": [
      {
        "command": "express dotenv cors helmet",
        "interactive": false
      },
      {
        "command": "typescript ts-node @types/node @types/express",
        "interactive": false,
        "dev": true
      }
    ]
  }
}

​
Command generation

PM-Auto constructs install commands based on your configuration: Input configuration: 
{
  "command": "gsap",
  "interactive": false,
  "dev": true,
  "version": "3.11.4",
  "flags": ["--peer-deps"]
}
Generated command: 
npm install [email protected] -D --peer-deps

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