Detect electron-prebuilt-compile version through package.json

[jacobq]

Why can't the code in infer.js's getVersion be replaced with the following? This would make it much easier to use a fork of electron-prebuilt-compile (which is frequently several versions behind the latest electron release).

const electronVersion = require('electron-prebuilt-compile/package.json').version

There's a comment saying

electron-prebuilt-compile cannot be resolved because main does not point to a valid JS file.

but I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. Applying the above change in a fork of this seems to work fine.

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[malept]

Why can't the code in infer.js's getVersion be replaced with the following? This would make it much easier to use a fork of electron-prebuilt-compile (which is frequently several versions behind the latest electron release).

const electronVersion = require('electron-prebuilt-compile/package.json').version

That's because it won't work if you're using the global version of Electron Packager, as opposed to the one installed in a project via devDependencies.

There's a comment saying

electron-prebuilt-compile cannot be resolved because main does not point to a valid JS file.

but I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean. Applying the above change in a fork of this seems to work fine.

See: #608

[jacobq]

Would it be acceptable to try to read it from node_modules like this first and fallback to the way it currently is if that fails?

[malept]

I'd rather not. I have an idea which I may get to this weekend.

[jacobq]

OK. The problem I'm actually trying to solve is to be able to specify my own repo for electron-prebuilt-compile in an ember-electron (electron-forge 5.x) project. I've got it hacked together right now with a couple forks & yarn resolutions, and those can go away when electron-prebuilt-compile ships 3.0.10, but this isn't the first time I've had to do something like this, and I always wish there was a more orthodox way to do it.

[malept]

FYI, I've pinged the maintainer of electron-prebuilt-compile and he's released 3.0.10.