pdc-hyperdrift/public/docs/journey.mdx

Smart dependency compatibility checker that prevents peer dependency conflicts before you upgrade

---
title: "The Journey: Building peer-dependency-checker"
description: "How we solved the dependency nightmare that every developer faces"
date: "2024-06-23T22:35:00Z"
author: "Hyperdrift Team"
tags: ["development", "npm", "dependencies", "tooling"]
---

# The Journey: Building peer-dependency-checker

*How we solved the dependency nightmare that every developer faces*

## The Problem That Wouldn't Go Away

It was 3 AM. The deadline was tomorrow. And once again, a "simple" dependency upgrade had broken everything.

```bash
$ npm install react@19
# 20 minutes later...
ERROR: peer dependency conflicts detected
```

Sound familiar? At **hyperdrift**, we'd hit this wall one too many times. That's when we realized: *Why are we always fixing this after the fact? Why isn't there a tool that tells us what will break BEFORE we upgrade?*

## The Solution

The solution seemed obvious in hindsight. Before you upgrade a package, you should know:

1. **What peer dependencies does the new version require?**
2. **Which of your current packages will conflict?**
3. **What's the safest upgrade path?**

But as we looked around, we found tools that could tell you what *could* be upgraded, but nothing that told you what *should* be upgraded safely.

## The Hyperdrift Way

**peer-dependency-checker** embodies the hyperdrift philosophy of making developer tools that actually work:

- **Prevent problems** instead of just reporting them
- **Provide clear guidance** instead of cryptic warnings  
- **Save time** instead of creating more work
- **Just work** without complex configuration

## Try It Yourself

Ready to stop breaking your builds with dependency upgrades?

```bash
npm install -g @hyperdrift-io/peer-dependency-checker
pdc scan
```

---

**About hyperdrift:** We're building developer tools that actually work at [hyperdrift.io](https://hyperdrift.io)