Why Can't I Alias @bundled-es-modules/chai to chai?

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Normally in NPM you can install a package under an alias, like so:

npm i alias@npm:real-package-name

For reference, here's where the aliasing feature was announced: https://npm.community/t/release-npm-6-9-0/5911

b7b54f2d1 413 #3 530 Add support for package aliases. This allows packages to be installed under a different directory than the package name listed in package.json, and adds a new dependency type to allow this to be done for registry dependencies. (@zkat 50)

This allows you to import/require the package using its alias instead of its real name:

import foo from 'alias'

However, when I try to do this with the ESM-bundled version of Chai:

npm i --save-dev chai@npm:bundled-es-modules/chai

I get the error "aliases only work for registry deps" ... but I can't find any information about what that error actually means at all. Here's the full stack trace:

25 verbose stack Error: aliases only work for registry deps
25 verbose stack     at fromAlias (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-package-arg/npa.js:270:11)
25 verbose stack     at resolve (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-package-arg/npa.js:70:12)
25 verbose stack     at npa (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/npm-package-arg/npa.js:52:10)
25 verbose stack     at /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:406:31
25 verbose stack     at Array.map (<anonymous>)
25 verbose stack     at Arborist.[add] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:405:28)
25 verbose stack     at Arborist.[applyUserRequests] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:390:23)
25 verbose stack     at Arborist.buildIdealTree (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js:207:37)
25 verbose stack     at async Promise.all (index 1)
25 verbose stack     at async Arborist.reify (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/@npmcli/arborist/lib/arborist/reify.js:123:5)

Can anyone explain what this error means, and why I can't alias that package (or if I can, what I'm doing wrong)?

npm node.js alias
1 Answers

I assume that you are wanting to alias this namespaced/scoped package @bundled-es-modules/chai during installation.

In which case add the @ symbol prefix to the package <name> part of your install command. e.g.

npm i --save-dev chai@npm:@bundled-es-modules/chai
                          ^

The npm-install docs provide the following synopsis for the alias command:

npm install <alias>@npm:<name>

Essentially, the @ prefix for a scoped package is part of the package <name>.

user_16114590
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