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new-dependency-evaluation

Help decide what to add as a NEW npm dependency — comparing 2-5 named candidates for the same job, evaluating one named candidate against its real peers, or shortlisting candidates from a described need, before anything is installed. Use for "which should we use for X," "axios vs got vs node-fetch," "is X a good pick for Y," "what should we use to do Z," "should we add X or is there something better." Not for auditing packages already in the project (see dependency-audit), not for a deep single-package compromise/trust investigation (see package-trust-check), and not for a plain factual question with no choice being made ("what does X do").

plugins/salemalem/npmscan-mcp-plugin/skills/new-dependency-evaluation/SKILL.md

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Nov 6, 2026
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Apache-2.0

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# NPMScan new dependency evaluation

Use this skill when the user is making a **forward-looking choice** about
what to add to a project — not investigating something already installed.
It orchestrates two tools that already do the hard work individually:
`suggest_alternative` (turns one candidate name into a real shortlist of
peers) and `compare_packages` (fans out enrichment across 2-5 named
candidates and returns a structured side-by-side with a deterministic pick).
This skill's only job is routing to the right combination of the two based
on how many candidates the user actually named, then presenting the result.

If the user instead asks whether a package **already in their project** is
safe to keep, use `package-trust-check` (single package) or `dependency-audit`
(a pasted inventory) — those investigate what's already there; this skill