Registry / devops / prettier-package-json

prettier-package-json

library2.8.0jsnpmunverified

Prettier-package-json is a focused tool for formatting package.json files with consistent key ordering, script sorting, and author/contributor normalization. Version 2.8.0 is the current stable release, with active maintenance and monthly releases. It differs from generic JSON formatters by applying npm-specific rules: opinionated key order, smart script sorting (keeping pre/post scripts adjacent), filtering automatically included files from the `files` array, and expanding/contracting user objects. It provides both a CLI and programmatic API, supports pre-commit hooks via lint-staged, and is configurable via options like --expand-users. Designed for Node.js environments, it outputs valid JSON with deterministic formatting.

devops

npm install prettier-package-json

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PRETTIER-PACKAGE-J

prettier-package-json

devopsjavascriptv2.8.0

Install

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Import

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Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

format

✓ import { format } from 'prettier-package-json'

✗ const format = require('prettier-package-json')

ESM import for the primary formatting function. CJS require is also supported but named export must be destructured.

check

✓ import { check } from 'prettier-package-json'

✗ import check from 'prettier-package-json'

check is a named export, not default. Use check() to verify formatting without writing.

defaultOptions

✓ import { defaultOptions } from 'prettier-package-json'

Predefined options object for customization. Available since v2.0.

Reads package.json, formats with indent and expandUsers options, writes back, and demonstrates the check function.

const { format, check } = require('prettier-package-json'); const fs = require('fs'); const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./package.json', 'utf8')); const formatted = format(pkg, { indent: ' ', expandUsers: false, useTabs: false }); fs.writeFileSync('./package.json', JSON.stringify(formatted, null, 2) + '\n'); console.log('Formatted package.json'); // Check if already formatted const isFormatted = check(pkg, { expandUsers: true }); console.log('Is formatted:', isFormatted);

prettier-package-json --version

Debug

Known issues

breakingIn v1.x, format() mutated the input object. In v2+, it returns a new object and the input is not modified.

fix

Treat the returned value as the formatted output; do not rely on the original object being changed.

affects: >=2.0.0

deprecatedThe options `sortScripts` and `sortFiles` have been deprecated in favor of unified sorting behavior.

fix

Remove those options; sorting is always applied. Use noSort option to disable sorting entirely.

affects: >=2.5.0

gotchaThe CLI uses `--write` to overwrite the file, but it does not create backups. Always commit before running.

fix

Use version control or manually back up package.json before running with --write.

affects: all

gotchaThe `files` field is automatically filtered: it excludes files that npm always includes (e.g., package.json, README, CHANGELOG).

fix

Do not include npm-implied files explicitly; they will be removed on format.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaWhen using `expandUsers: false` (default), author, contributors, and maintainers are converted to string format. This may lose information if objects contain extra keys beyond name/email/url.

fix

Set `expandUsers: true` to keep object format, or ensure objects only have name/email/url.

affects: all

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: Cannot find module 'prettier-package-json'

Package not installed or misspelled in require/import.

fix

Run `npm install prettier-package-json --save-dev` or `yarn add prettier-package-json --dev`.

TypeError: format is not a function

Incorrect import: using default import instead of named export.

fix

Use `import { format } from 'prettier-package-json'` or `const { format } = require('prettier-package-json')`.

Error: Expected a valid JSON object, got string

Passed raw JSON string instead of parsed object to format().

fix

Parse the JSON string first: `const pkg = JSON.parse(rawString);` then call `format(pkg)`.

Error: Options object should not contain property 'sortScripts'

Using deprecated options in v2.5+.

fix

Remove sortScripts and sortFiles from options. Sorting is always applied; use noSort: true to disable.

TypeError: Cannot read property 'sort' of undefined

Passed null or undefined as the package object.

fix

Ensure the argument to format() is a valid parsed JSON object, not null or undefined.

Upgrade

Version history

2.8.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

sort-object-keysrequiredDependency for sorting object keys deterministically

Agent activity

4 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/cameronhunter/prettier-package-json ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/prettier-package-json ↗