AgentSkillsCN

npm-search

当用户需要实现某项功能时，若该功能很可能已有现成的npm包可供使用，或在评估是选择自行开发还是直接复用现有方案时，可选用此技能来搜索npm包以解决问题。

SKILL.md
--- frontmatter
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:

bash
npm 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)