Improve Clarity of `packageManager` Checksum Notation

[AMDphreak]

tl;dr: Corepack version string should use = character for clarity instead of +

"packageManager": "[email protected]+sha512.6b865ad4b62a1d9842b61d674..."

The packageManager field in package.json currently uses a + symbol to separate the package manager version from its checksum (e.g., "[email protected]+sha512..."). This + notation can be misleading for developers, as it is commonly associated with version ranges or build metadata in other contexts (e.g., 1.0.0+build123). This leads to potential misinterpretation, where users might incorrectly assume it signifies "version 10.7.0 or higher" rather than an exact version with an associated integrity hash.

The checksum is intended to enforce an exact, immutable match for the package manager's binary, ensuring reproducibility and security. The current + symbol, however, can obscure this exactness.

Proposed Solution

We propose changing the separator between the package manager version and its checksum from + to =.

Current:

"packageManager": "[email protected]+sha512.6b865ad4b62a1d9842b61d674a393903b871d9244954f652b8842c2b553c72176b278f64c463e52d40fff8aba385c235c8c9ecf5cc7de4fd78b8bb6d49633ab6"

Proposed:

"packageManager": "[email protected]=sha512.6b865ad4b62a1d9842b61d674a393903b871d9244954f652b8842c2b553c72176b278f64c463e52d40fff8aba385c235c8c9ecf5cc7de4fd78b8bb6d49633ab6"

Justification:

Using = would more clearly convey that the hash represents an exact match for the preceding version, eliminating ambiguity and aligning better with the deterministic nature of the checksum. This change would:

• Improve Clarity: Make it immediately obvious that the entire string after @ is a precise identifier, not a flexible range.
• Reduce Misinterpretation: Prevent developers from mistakenly assuming version compatibility beyond the exact specified version.
• Enhance User Experience: Reduce cognitive load and potential confusion, especially for new users or those less familiar with Corepack's specific notation.

Current Behavior

Corepack correctly uses the hash for integrity verification. The issue is purely with the visual representation and the potential for misinterpretation due to the + symbol's common usage in other versioning schemes.

Thank you for considering this improvement.

[AMDphreak]

What do you think @rotu @aduh95

[rotu]

1. Appending the checksum onto a version specifier was a poor choice from the outset. The checksum belongs in some sort of lockfile, NOT in package.json.
2. The reason for using + is because the semver package and similar tooling does tolerate the + without affecting version precedence. If you try to use semver to parse a malformed version string (like one with a =), it will throw an error.

That is, I think this is not worth doing.

[AMDphreak]

1. Appending the checksum onto a version specifier was a poor choice from the outset. The checksum belongs in some sort of lockfile, NOT in package.json.
2. The reason for using + is because the semver package and similar tooling does tolerate the + without affecting version precedence. If you try to use semver to parse a malformed version string (like one with a =), it will throw an error.

That is, I think this is not worth doing.

I don't care about the specifics. Just fix the confusion.

[arcanis]

I'm fine with the syntax as it is.

[rotu]

I don't care about the specifics. Just fix the confusion.

The only confusing thing to me is that it visually appears to be a package name specifier even though it has different semantics.

It's well-documented here: https://github.com/nodejs/corepack/blob/0b492c9c97e4b3d5e9a139eeedb931860127b470/README.md?plain=1#L89-L114 perhaps that documentation is not discoverable enough?