Add further npm dependencies to basic MM installation

lavolp3

Hi all,
this goes esp. to @MichMich but of course like to discuss with all @Module-Developers

If I understand correctly, for npm dependencies to be used by module fiels there are basically two options

use what is in the MagicMirror/vendor (like moment.js) folder
have it installed via npm install in a node_modules folder of the module and set a link in the module file.

Now there are some npm dependencies that are used in more than one 3rd party module.
E.g.

I am using chart.js in three different modules a.t.m.
I have seen google-translate-api being used several times.

Can’t we include these to the general MM installation and have them present only once and net in every in every module’s subfolder?
I understand that we might not want to blow up the basic MM installation but I also think there are some trends for usage of certain npm modules.

A Former User

@lavolp3
I want to recommend ‘iconify’ instead font-awesome, it include fa and more than that nonetheless its not related with npm.
https://iconify.design

MichMich

The problem is I don’t want to bloat the basic installation. (Looking back I prefer to not have any additional vendors at all).

And how would we select which dependencies we include in MM and which dependencies we don’t?

What would be a great feature, is to allow a module to specify the rpm modules it requires and let MM install them on startup if they are not currently available. :)

lavolp3

@michmich said in Add further npm dependencies to basic MM installation:

And how would we select which dependencies we include in MM and which dependencies we don’t?

Well that is obviously a case-by-case decision and therefore a bit tricky, I admit.
But from these two I’m sure they are valuable to the MM environment.

A Google translation API (which tbh needs to be chosen carefully because one on npm is currently not working unfortunately)
A Charting tool.

So why not use them? It’s “only” a few JS files.
However, it’s your decision and I fully respect your point.