[release/13.4] Make npm package README TypeScript-only and document standalone dashboard

eng/scripts/pack-cli-npm-package.pointer.README.md

@@ -13,52 +13,61 @@ Use an AppHost to describe how services, frontends, containers, databases, cache
 
 ## A simple app definition
 
-The same application definition can be written in different languages.
+You describe your app in a TypeScript AppHost (`apphost.mts`). The example below runs an Express API and a Vite frontend, exposes the API over HTTP, and wires the frontend to it:
 
-__C#__ (`apphost.cs`)
+```typescript
+import { createBuilder } from './.aspire/modules/aspire.mjs';
 
-```csharp
-var builder = DistributedApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
+const builder = await createBuilder();
 
-var cache = builder.AddRedis("cache");
+// Run the Express API and expose its HTTP endpoint externally.
+const app = await builder
+  .addNodeApp("app", "./api", "src/index.ts")
+  .withHttpEndpoint({ env: "PORT" })
+  .withExternalHttpEndpoints();
 
-var api = builder.AddNodeApp("api", "./api", "src/index.ts")
-  .WithReference(cache)
-  .WaitFor(cache)
-  .WithHttpEndpoint(env: "PORT")
-  .WithExternalHttpEndpoints();
+// Run the Vite frontend after the API and inject the API URL for local proxying.
+const frontend = await builder
+  .addViteApp("frontend", "./frontend")
+  .withReference(app)
+  .waitFor(app);
 
-builder.AddViteApp("frontend", "./frontend")
-  .WithReference(api)
-  .WaitFor(api);
+// Bundle the frontend build output into the API container for publish/deploy.
+await app.publishWithContainerFiles(frontend, "./static");
 
-builder.Build().Run();
+await builder.build().run();
 ```
 
-__TypeScript__ (`apphost.ts`)
+Each builder call returns a promise, so `await` is used to get the resource before referencing it from another resource. `aspire run` builds and launches everything, then opens the dashboard.
+
+### Add backing services
+
+Resources like databases and caches are added the same way and connected with `withReference`. `waitFor` holds dependents until the resource is ready:
 
 ```typescript
-import { createBuilder } from './.aspire/modules/aspire.js';
+import { createBuilder } from './.aspire/modules/aspire.mjs';
 
 const builder = await createBuilder();
 
+const postgres = await builder.addPostgres("postgres");
+const db = await postgres.addDatabase("db");
+
 const cache = await builder.addRedis("cache");
 
-const api = await builder
+await builder
   .addNodeApp("api", "./api", "src/index.ts")
-  .withReference(cache)
-  .waitFor(cache)
   .withHttpEndpoint({ env: "PORT" })
-  .withExternalHttpEndpoints();
-
-await builder
-  .addViteApp("frontend", "./frontend")
-  .withReference(api)
-  .waitFor(api);
+  .withExternalHttpEndpoints()
+  .withReference(db)
+  .withReference(cache)
+  .waitFor(db)
+  .waitFor(cache);
 
 await builder.build().run();
 ```
 
+`addPostgres` and `addRedis` become available once the matching integrations are installed with `aspire add postgresql` and `aspire add redis`.
+
 ## Install
 
 This package requires Node.js 20 or later.
@@ -83,6 +92,16 @@ aspire run
 
 The native platform packages are installed through npm optional dependencies. Do not install this package with optional dependencies disabled, or the `aspire` launcher will not be able to find the native CLI binary.
 
+## Standalone dashboard
+
+The Aspire dashboard shows logs, traces, and metrics for any app that exports OpenTelemetry, even without an AppHost. Start one in a single command:
+
+```bash
+aspire dashboard run
+```
+
+This launches the dashboard with an OTLP endpoint your apps can point at via `OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT`. Use `aspire dashboard run --help` to see options such as `--frontend-url`, `--otlp-grpc-url`, and `--allow-anonymous`.
+
 ## Update
 
 ```bash

tests/Infrastructure.Tests/Pipelines/NpmCliPackageTests.cs

@@ -186,7 +186,15 @@ public async Task PackScriptGeneratesPointerPackageMetadataMapAndReadme()
         Assert.Contains($"npm install -g {PackageName}", readme);
         Assert.Contains("The native platform packages are installed through npm optional dependencies.", readme);
         Assert.Contains("If you run `aspire update --self` from an npm install, the CLI points you back to this npm update command.", readme);
+        Assert.Contains("TypeScript AppHost (`apphost.mts`)", readme);
+        Assert.Contains("import { createBuilder } from './.aspire/modules/aspire.mjs';", readme);
+        Assert.Contains("aspire dashboard run", readme);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("apphost.ts", readme);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("./.aspire/modules/aspire.js", readme);
         Assert.DoesNotContain("__PACKAGE_NAME__", readme);
+        // The C# AppHost example was intentionally removed; the npm README is TypeScript-only.
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("apphost.cs", readme);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("```csharp", readme);
     }
 
     [Theory]