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Update Deps
BSecuritySafely update project dependencies with testing verification
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- Added October 14, 2026
Security analysis
85/100- Performs destructive filesystem operations
- Installs packages at runtime which could introduce malicious dependencies
- Installs packages at runtime which could introduce malicious dependencies
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[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/peopleforrester-update-deps)---
name: update-deps
description: Safely update project dependencies with testing verification
user-invocable: true
---
# /update-deps - Dependency Updates
Safely update project dependencies.
## Usage
```
/update-deps # Check and update all dependencies
/update-deps --minor # Only minor/patch updates
/update-deps --security # Security updates only
```
## Process
### 1. Check Current Status
```bash
# Node.js
npm outdated
# or
pnpm outdated
# Python
pip list --outdated
# or with uv
uv pip list --outdated
# Rust
cargo outdated
# Go
go list -m -u all
```
### 2. Check for Security Issues
```bash
# Node.js
npm audit
pnpm audit
# Python
pip-audit
safety check
# Rust
cargo audit
# Go
govulncheck ./...
```
### 3. Categorize Updates
| Category | Risk Level | Action |
|----------|------------|--------|
| Security patches | Critical | Update immediately |
| Patch versions (x.x.X) | Low | Usually safe |
| Minor versions (x.X.0) | Medium | Review changelog |
| Major versions (X.0.0) | High | Check breaking changes |
### 4. Update Strategy
#### Safe Updates First
```bash
# Node.js - patch updates only
npm update
# Or specific packages
npm update lodash express
# Python
pip install --upgrade package==x.x.x
```
#### Minor Updates
```bash
# Node.js - use npm-check-updates
npx npm-check-updates -u --target minor
npm install
# Python - update to latest minor
pip install 'package>=1.0,<2.0'
```
#### Major Updates (Careful!)
```bash
# Check breaking changes first
npm info package changelog
# Update one at a time
npm install package@latest
# Run tests after each
npm test
```
### 5. Verify Updates
After each update batch:
```bash
# Run tests
npm test
# Run type check
npm run typecheck
# Run build
npm run build
# Quick smoke test
npm run dev
```
## Update Report Template
```markdown
## Dependency Update Report
**Date**: [Date]
**Updated By**: [Name]
### Security Updates (Critical)
| Package | From | To | CVE |
|---------|------|-----|-----|
| lodash | 4.17.19 | 4.17.21 | CVE-2021-23337 |
### Patch Updates (Low Risk)
| Package | From | To |
|---------|------|-----|
| express | 4.18.1 | 4.18.2 |
### Minor Updates (Medium Risk)
| Package | From | To | Notes |
|---------|------|-----|-------|
| react | 18.2.0 | 18.3.0 | New hooks |
### Major Updates (Review Required)
| Package | From | To | Breaking Changes |
|---------|------|-----|------------------|
| typescript | 4.9.5 | 5.3.0 | See migration guide |
### Skipped Updates
| Package | Current | Latest | Reason |
|---------|---------|--------|--------|
| webpack | 4.46.0 | 5.89.0 | Major refactor needed |
### Testing
- [ ] Unit tests pass
- [ ] Integration tests pass
- [ ] Build succeeds
- [ ] Manual smoke test
```
## Handling Breaking Changes
### Before Major Update
1. Read the changelog/migration guide
2. Check if project uses affected features
3. Estimate effort to update
4. Create a separate branch
### Migration Process
```markdown
## Migration: [Package] v[Old] → v[New]
### Breaking Changes That Affect Us
1. [Change 1] - Used in: [files]
2. [Change 2] - Used in: [files]
### Migration Steps
- [ ] Update package
- [ ] Fix [breaking change 1]
- [ ] Fix [breaking change 2]
- [ ] Update tests
- [ ] Update documentation
### Files Modified
- src/utils/helper.ts
- src/components/Button.tsx
```
## Lock File Management
Keep lock files in sync:
```bash
# Node.js - regenerate lock file
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install
# Python - regenerate requirements
pip freeze > requirements.txt
# Or with pip-tools
pip-compile requirements.in
```
## Automated Updates
Consider automation tools:
```yaml
# Dependabot (.github/dependabot.yml)
version: 2
updates:
- package-ecosystem: "npm"
directory: "/"
schedule:
interval: "weekly"
groups:
development-dependencies:
dependency-type: "development"
production-dependencies:
dependency-type: "production"
```
## Tips
- Update dependencies regularly (weekly/monthly)
- Don't let them get too far behind
- Pin exact versions in production
- Test thoroughly after updates
- Keep a changelog of dependency updates
- Consider using Renovate or Dependabot
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