Can this package be installed as a dev dependency?

[snax4a]

Hi,
Can this package be installed as a dev dependency?

[dcastil]

Yes, any npm package can be installed as devDependency.

[verheyenkoen]

Sure, technically you're right but I guess the question is more like: should this be installed as a devDependency? I think if you need a package at runtime (not just at dev/build time), it cannot be in devDependencies. So in this case I'd argue tailwind-merge should be in dependencies, no?

[dcastil]

Yes, you're right, most people should install this as a dependency. But where you should install it really depends on the context you're working in.

E.g. when developing a library, it's really important to only have external dependencies in dependencies. If a library bundles tailwind-merge as part of itself, it should not be specified as dependency but rather a devDependency. When building an app that is not depended upon, it's more of a convention what goes where and from a technical standpoint it doesn't matter so much.