use npm package to validate a package name

Question

Is there a way to use the npm package to validate a package name?

const npm = require('npm');

const isValid = npm.validatePackageName('foobar'); // true
const isValid = npm.validatePackageName('-4! *'); // false

I see a userland package that does this, but surely the npm package itself can do this? Is there a public utility exported from that package?

Answer 1

Valid Names

var validate = require("validate-npm-package-name")

validate("some-package")
validate("example.com")
validate("under_score")
validate("123numeric")
validate("excited!")
validate("@npm/thingy")
validate("@jane/foo.js")

All of the above names are valid, so you'll get this object back:

{
  validForNewPackages: true,
  validForOldPackages: true
}

Invalid Names

validate(" leading-space:and:weirdchars")

That was never a valid package name, so you get this:

{
  validForNewPackages: false,
  validForOldPackages: false,
  errors: [
    'name cannot contain leading or trailing spaces',
    'name can only contain URL-friendly characters'
  ]
}

source : https://github.com/npm/validate-npm-package-name

Answer 2

Naming Rules:

Below is a list of rules that valid npm package name should conform to:

• Package name length should be greater than zero.
• All the characters in the package name must be lowercase i.e., no uppercase or mixed case names are allowed.
• Package name can consist of hyphens.
• Package name must not contain any non-url-safe characters (since name ends up being part of a URL).
• Package name should not start with . or _.
• Package name should not contain any leading or trailing spaces.
• Package name should not contain any of the following characters: ~)('!*
• Package name cannot be the same as a node.js/io.js core module nor a reserved/blacklisted name. For example, the following names are invalid:
  • http
  • stream
  • node_modules
  • favicon.ico
• Package name length cannot exceed 214.

Your package name consist of *; that is where the problem arises.