What is the rationale behind using webflo/drupal-core-require-dev metapackage

[AlexSkrypnyk]

Currently, dev dependencies are added through the webflo/drupal-core-require-dev package.

These are the downsides of using this instead of explicitly specifying versions:

• Not clear what packages are used by looking directly at composer.json.
• Need to keep in sync with another repository => PRs need to be synchronised.

What are the advantages of using such approach in a Drupal project template?

[jcnventura]

See #348, for the rationale.

[AlexSkrypnyk]

From @webflo

The development dependencies got outdated over time. It was my goal to provide it as and standalone packages. I hope this makes it easier to update your project later on.

Well, it kinda does not make it easier to update your project later on.

If the consumer project want to update a version of one of the dependencies or exclude it altogether, the developer would have to go to webflo/drupal-core-require-dev repo and copy/paste required dependencies. Since this project is a template, doing these actions defeats the purpose of the template, which is a kickstart with one command.

Also, as others pointed out in #348 (comment), it is "hard to override the dependencies on the fly" and it is hard to see what those dependencies are.

I would understand if that metapackage would be used in the specific consumer project, where it is controlled by a group of specific developers in specific company, but using it in a template like this (with so many community developers), makes dependencies inclusion not as transparent as expected from the template.

So, is it possible to move all require-dev back into composer.json for transparency?

[greg-1-anderson]

See also the discussion in #477.

[normanlolx]

webflo/drupal-core-require-dev has been replaced with drupal/core-dev in #522.