add-a-lib

Add a lib

A libs/* package is shared code that is never served — other packages consume it, it consumes nobody upward. Reach for this when the same helper/type/component is about to exist in two places.

When to use

• A util, type, component, or client is needed by 2+ apps/services → extract it into a lib.
• Not when it's used in exactly one place — leave it there (YAGNI). A lib for one consumer is premature.

Steps

1. Pick the name. libs/<name>, package @stack/<name>. Keep it a role, not a feature (ui, db, auth, ai, analytics).

2. Create the folder + files:

   libs/<name>/
   ├── package.json
   ├── tsconfig.json
   └── src/
       └── index.ts        # the ONE public door
   

3. package.json — name it @stack/<name>, point exports at the barrel:

   {
     "name": "@stack/<name>",
     "private": true,
     "type": "module",
     "exports": { ".": "./src/index.ts" },
     "scripts": { "typecheck": "bash ../../scripts/typecheck-native.sh --noEmit" }
   }
   

4. tsconfig.json — extend the root base, never fork options:

   { "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json", "include": ["src"] }
   

5. src/index.ts — this is the only thing consumers may import. Re-export the public surface; keep everything else internal:

   export { thing } from "./thing";
   export type { ThingOptions } from "./thing";
   

6. Install so the workspace links it: bun install (root). The @stack/<name> name now resolves across the workspace.

   bun run check:typescript enforces the shared stable TypeScript 7 checker for every workspace.

7. Consume it from an app/service by package name only:

   import { thing } from "@stack/<name>"; // ✅
   import { thing } from "@stack/<name>/src/internal/thing"; // ❌ deep import — forbidden
   

Rules to respect

• No upward import: the lib must not import from apps/ or services/. If it needs to, the boundary is wrong — the caller should pass the dependency in.
• One public door: anything not exported from src/index.ts is private. Don't let consumers reach into internals.
• No Tiltfile change — libs aren't served, so they get no Tilt resource.