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Re-resolve all dependencies from the registry and update the lockfile, or upgrade specific packages.

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Usage

ant update [packages...] [options]
ant up [packages...] [options]

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Parameters

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packages
string[]
Specific packages to update. When omitted, updates all dependencies.Formats:
  • package-name - Update to latest matching semver range
  • package-name@version - Update to specific version

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Options

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--verbose
boolean
Enable verbose output.
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-h, --help
boolean
Display help information.

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Examples

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Update all dependencies

ant update
Output: 
ant update v1.0.0 (abc123)

+ [email protected]
+ [email protected]

52 packages installed (15 cached) [456ms]

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Update specific packages

ant update express lodash

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Update to specific version

ant update [email protected]

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No updates available

ant update
Output: 
ant update v1.0.0 (abc123)

Checked 52 installs across 52 packages (no changes) [123ms]

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Verbose output

ant update --verbose
Output: 
ant update v1.0.0 (abc123)
[update] resolving express
[update] fetching [email protected]
[update] extracting [email protected]
[update] linking express

+ [email protected]

52 packages installed [892ms]

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Update Behavior

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Without package arguments

  • Re-resolves all dependencies from the npm registry
  • Updates to latest versions within semver ranges in package.json
  • Refreshes ant.lockb lockfile
  • Installs updated packages

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With package arguments

  • Updates specified packages to latest or specified version
  • Modifies version in package.json
  • Updates lockfile
  • Installs all dependencies

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Semver Ranges

Respects semver ranges in package.json: 
{
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.17.0",  // Updates to 4.x.x (e.g., 4.18.3)
    "lodash": "~4.17.0",   // Updates to 4.17.x only
    "react": "18.2.0"      // Exact version, no update
  }
}

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Cache Usage

Utilizes cached packages when available for faster updates: 
52 packages installed (15 cached) [456ms]

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Lockfile Refresh

The ant update command always regenerates the lockfile, which is useful when:
  • Registry metadata has changed
  • Fixing corrupted lockfiles
  • Ensuring latest resolutions within constraints

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