Monorepo Best Practices with pnpm

Managing multiple packages in a single repository can dramatically improve code sharing and developer workflow. Here's how to do it right.

Why Choose pnpm?

pnpm offers several advantages over npm and yarn:

• Disk efficiency: Single content-addressable storage
• Strict dependency isolation: No phantom dependencies
• Faster installations: Parallel downloads and efficient caching

Workspace Structure

A well-organized monorepo typically follows this structure:

monorepo/
├── apps/
│   ├── web/
│   └── docs/
├── packages/
│   ├── ui/
│   └── utils/
└── package.json

Setting Up Workspaces

Configure your pnpm-workspace.yaml:

packages:
  - 'apps/*'
  - 'packages/*'

Dependency Management

Internal Dependencies

Reference workspace packages with the workspace:* protocol:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@company/ui": "workspace:*"
  }
}

Shared Dependencies

Hoist common dependencies to the root:

pnpm add -w typescript eslint prettier

Build Orchestration

Use pnpm filters for efficient builds:

# Build everything
pnpm -r build

# Build specific package and dependencies
pnpm --filter @company/web build

Best Practices

1. Version together: Use consistent versions across packages
2. Share configs: Create base configs for TypeScript, ESLint, etc.
3. Automate: Use git hooks for linting and testing
4. Document: Maintain clear README files for each package

Conclusion

A well-structured monorepo with pnpm can significantly improve your development workflow and code quality. Start small and grow as your needs evolve.