ul

library0.0.6jsnpmunverified

ul is a minimalist JavaScript utility library, currently at version 5.2.16, providing essential object manipulation functions such as one-level merging (`merge`), deep merging (`deepMerge`), and deep cloning (`clone`), alongside a cross-platform helper for retrieving the user's home directory (`home`). Its release cadence is primarily focused on documentation updates and maintainer support links, indicating a stable and mature project rather than one under rapid feature development. Key differentiators include its small footprint and straightforward API for common utility tasks, making it suitable for projects that prefer to avoid larger utility libraries like Lodash for basic operations.

serialization

npm install ul

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · UL

serializationjavascriptv0.0.6

Install

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Import

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Disk

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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.

✓ import Ul from 'ul';

✗ const Ul = require('ul');

While the library primarily uses CommonJS `require`, modern Node.js environments can typically import it using ESM syntax. Ensure your project configuration (e.g., `type: 'module'` in package.json) supports interop for CommonJS modules. The `Ul` object contains all utility functions.

Ul.deepMerge

✓ import Ul from 'ul'; const mergedObject = Ul.deepMerge(obj1, obj2);

✗ import { deepMerge } from 'ul';

All utility functions are properties of the main `Ul` object, not named exports directly from the package. Attempting to destructure them will result in a runtime error.

Ul.home

✓ import Ul from 'ul'; const userHomeDir = Ul.home();

✗ import { home } from 'ul';

Like `deepMerge`, `home` is accessed as a method of the `Ul` object. `Ul.HOME_DIR` also provides a cached path to the home directory.

This example demonstrates `ul`'s core functionalities: `deepMerge` for recursive object merging, `clone` for creating deep copies, and `home()` or `HOME_DIR` for retrieving the user's home directory path. It also highlights the behavior of `merge` for shallow merging.

import Ul from 'ul'; // Input data let obj = { n: null, v: 1 }; , def = { n: 1, v: 10, a: 20 }; , tmp = null; // Merge the two objects and store the result in tmp console.log('Deep Merge Result:', tmp = Ul.deepMerge(obj, def)); // Expected output: { n: null, v: 1, a: 20 } // Illustrates how `null` values in `obj` are preserved even if `def` has a non-null value. // Clone the tmp object -- the clone will have a different reference const clonedTmp = Ul.clone(tmp); console.log('Cloned Object:', clonedTmp); console.log('Is clone identical to original reference?', tmp === clonedTmp); // Expected output: false (demonstrates deep cloning creates a new reference) // Show the absolute path to the home directory console.log('Home Directory (function call):', Ul.home()); console.log('Home Directory (property access):', Ul.HOME_DIR); // Path will vary by OS, e.g., /home/user or C:\Users\user // One level merge console.log('One-Level Merge Result:', Ul.merge({ foo: { bar: 42 } }, { foo: { bar: 1, baz: 7 } })); // Expected output: { foo: { bar: 42 } } (demonstrates shallow merge behavior, inner 'foo' object from first arg is preserved)

Debug

Known issues

gotchaThe `Ul.merge()` function performs a shallow, one-level merge. It will only merge top-level properties and will not deeply merge nested objects. This can lead to unexpected results if deep merging is intended.

fix

For deep, recursive merging, always use `Ul.deepMerge()`. Understand the difference between shallow and deep merging for your specific use case.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaWhen using `Ul.deepMerge()`, properties with a `null` value in the destination object (`dst`) will *not* be overwritten by non-null values from the source object (`src`). This deviates from some other merge utilities that treat `null` as 'empty' and would overwrite it.

fix

Be explicit about handling `null` values. If you want `null` properties to be overwritten by defaults, you may need to preprocess your objects or use a different utility that provides configurable merge behavior.

affects: >=1.0.0

gotchaThe `ul` library is primarily a CommonJS module. While it can often be imported using ESM syntax (`import Ul from 'ul';`) in modern Node.js environments, there is no explicit `type: 'module'` in its `package.json` or dual CommonJS/ESM packaging. This could lead to issues in stricter ESM contexts or older bundlers.

fix

If encountering import issues in an ESM project, consider using dynamic `import('ul')` or ensure your build tools (e.g., Webpack, Rollup) are configured to correctly handle CommonJS interop. The CommonJS `const Ul = require('ul');` remains the most robust import method for Node.js.

affects: >=1.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: Ul.deepMerge is not a function

Attempting to destructure utility functions like `deepMerge` directly from the `ul` package (e.g., `import { deepMerge } from 'ul'`) when they are properties of the default `Ul` object.

fix

Ensure you import the main `Ul` object first and then access its methods: `import Ul from 'ul'; const merged = Ul.deepMerge(obj1, obj2);`

ReferenceError: Ul is not defined

The `ul` package was not correctly imported or required, or the variable `Ul` was not assigned the module's export.

fix

In CommonJS, use `const Ul = require('ul');`. In ESM, use `import Ul from 'ul';` at the top of your file.

Upgrade

Version history

0.0.6latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

7 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/IonicaBizau/node-ul ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/ul ↗