The bun why command explains why a package is installed in your project by showing the dependency chain that led to its installation.
Usage
bun why <package>Arguments
<package>: The name of the package to explain. Supports glob patterns like@org/*or*-lodash.
Options
--top: Show only the top-level dependencies instead of the complete dependency tree.--depth <number>: Maximum depth of the dependency tree to display.
Examples
Check why a specific package is installed:
bun why react[email protected]
└─ [email protected] (requires ^18.0.0)Check why all packages with a specific pattern are installed:
bun why "@types/*"@types/[email protected]
└─ dev [email protected] (requires ^18.0.0)
@types/[email protected]
└─ dev [email protected] (requires ^18.0.0)Show only top-level dependencies:
bun why express --top[email protected]
└─ [email protected] (requires ^4.18.2)Limit the dependency tree depth:
bun why express --depth 2[email protected]
└─ [email protected] (requires ^4.18.2)
└─ [email protected] (requires ^1.20.1)
└─ [email protected] (requires ^1.3.8)
└─ (deeper dependencies hidden)Understanding the Output
The output shows:
- The package name and version being queried
- The dependency chain that led to its installation
- The type of dependency (dev, peer, optional, or production)
- The version requirement specified in each package's dependencies
For nested dependencies, the command shows the complete dependency tree by default, with indentation indicating the relationship hierarchy.