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Patching NPM Packages

How it works

Use the patch-package npm package to apply small changes to npm package on the Bolt consumer end (e.g. in a Drupal theme) without the need for a Bolt release.

When Patching is helpful

IMPORTANT: Packages should only be patched with changes we intend to add to the Bolt code base. Ideally, this means there's an open (or better yet, merged) PR on the Bolt side with the exact changes in your patch. The intention to get the problem fixed in Bolt (even if the final upstream code is slightly different) is 100% necessary though. Changes not intended to be merged upstream create a maintenance nightmare and should be handled in custom, non-Bolt code instead.

Patches can be useful for:

  1. Testing. Sometimes, a problem can't be fully replicated in Bolt and therefore needs to be pulled into Drupal to confirm the proposed fix works. Patching allows us to prevent a "guess and check" cycle of multiple hotfix releases.
  2. Urgency. For example:
    • The fix is blocking additional integration work (e.g. someone needs to do more work on modals after we pull in a patch to the modal component). In this case, the patch allows them to keep working (and validate the proposed solution) without waiting for a Bolt release.
    • There's an imminent Drupal release and we have only one or two blockers. In this case, the patch can be tested by QA and even deployed to production without needing an 11th hour Bolt release and full regression testing.
  3. Ease of development. A bug discovered in Drupal might be easiest to fix and test directly in the Drupal codebase. This would be most relevant if you were a Drupal developer and already had the Drupal bug reproduced locally. The patch could then be duplicated as a Bolt PR, or at least used to guide the Bolt development team to the problem.

When to avoid patches

  • By default. Unless one of the "When to patch" scenarios applies, lean toward not patching.
  • Complicated patches. If a fix involves more than one component, many lines of code, and/or binary files, lean toward not patching.
  • Changes are not intended to be merged upstream.
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