No separation of concerns. The overall code base has grown in a patch fashion, which has lead to a bloated and tight coupled solution.
Monolithic Package.js that handles all package types (both local and remote Git, URL, local files, etc).
Package.js has a big nesting level of callbacks, causing confusion and making the code hard to read.
Some commands, such as install and update, have incorrect behaviour (#200, #256)
- This is directly related with the current implementation of bower core: Package.js and Manager.js
Programmatic usage needs improvement
- Unable to spawn multiple commands in parallel in different folders
- Some commands simply do not fire the end event
- Others fire the error event many times
- Some commands should fire more meaningful events (e.g.: install should fire each installed package)

Main goals

Ease the process of gathering more contributors.
Clear architecture and separation of concerns.
Installation/update speed-up.
Named endpoints on the CLI install.
Offline installation of packages, thanks to the cache.
Ability to easily add package types (SVN, etc).
Support for commit hashes and branches in targets for Git endpoints.
Improved output after installation/update.
Improve tests coverage
Integrate with update-notifier and yeomen insight.

Implementation details

Term dictionary

Canonical package: A folder containing all the files that belong to a package. May include a bower.json file inside. (typically what gets installed)
Source: URL, git endpoint, etc.
Target: semver range, commit hash, branch (indicates a version).
Endpoint: name=source#target
Decomposed endpoint: An object containing the name, source and target keys.
Components folder: The folder in which components are installed (bower_components by default).
Package meta: A data structure similar to the one found in bower.json, which might also contain additional information. This is stored in a .bower.json file, inside a canonical package.

Overall strategy

Bower is composed of the following components:

CLI: Command line interface for Bower.
.bowerrc: Allows for customisations of Bower behaviour at the project/user level.
bower.json: Main purpose is to declare the component dependencies and other component related information.
Manager: Main coordinator, responsible for:
- Deciding which version of the dependencies should be fetched from the PackageRepository, while keeping every dependant compatible (note that the Manager is semver aware).
- Tracking which dependencies have been fetched, which ones failed to fetch, and which ones are being fetched.
- Expanding the dependency tree, analysing the dependencies of each fetched package.
PackageRepository: Abstraction to the underlying complexity of heterogeneous source types. Responsible for:
- Collecting concrete Resolvers for each endpoint
- Querying the Resolve cache for already resolved packages of the same target
- Decide if the cached package can be used.
- Storing new entries in ResolveCache.
ResolveCache: Keeps a cache of previously resolved endpoints. Lookup can be done using an endpoint.
ResolverFactory: Parses an endpoint and returns a Resolver capable of resolving the source type.
Resolver: Base resolver, which can be extended by concrete resolvers, like UrlResolver, GitRemoteResolver, etc.

You can find additional details about each of these components below, in Architecture components details.

Resolve process

Here's an overview of the dependency resolve process:

INSTALL/UPDATE - A set of endpoints is requested to be installed/updated, and these are passed to the Manager.
ANALIZE COMPONENTS FOLDER - Manager starts by reading the components folder and understanding which packages are already installed.
ENQUEUE ENDPOINTS - For each endpoint that should be fetched, the Manager enqueues the decomposed endpoints in the PackageRepository. Some considerations:
- If a package should be fetched or not depends on the following conditions:
  - What operation is being done (install/update).
  - If package is already installed.
  - If Manager has already enqueued that endpoint in the current runtime (regardless of the fetch being currently in progress, already complete, or failed).
  - Additional flags (force, etc).
FABRICATE RESOLVERS - For each of the endpoints, the PackageRepository requests the ResolverFactory for suitable resolvers, capable of handling the source type. Some considerations:
- This method is asynchronous, in order to allow for I/O operations to happen, without blocking the whole process (e.g., querying registry, etc).
- There is a runtime internal cache of sources that have already been analysed, and what type of Resolver resulted from that analysis. This speeds up the decision process, particularly for aliases (registered packages), and published packages, which would required HTTP requests.
LOOKUP CACHE - PackageRepository looks up the ResolveCache using the endpoint, for a cached canonical package that complies to the endpoint target. Some considerations:
- The lookup is performed using an endpoint that is fetched from the Resolver. This allows the resolver to guarantee that the endpoint has been normalised (twitter/bootstrap -> git://github.com/twitter/bootstrap.git, etc).
- The ResolveCache is semver aware. What this means, is that if you try to lookup ~1.2.1, and the cache has a entries for versions 1.2.3 and 1.2.4, it will give a hit with 1.2.4.
CACHE HIT VALIDATION - At this stage, and only for the cache hits, the PackageRepository will question the Resolver if there is any version higher than the one fetched from cache that also complies with the endpoint target. Some considerations:
- This step is ignored in case a flag like offline is passed.
- How the Resolver checks this, depends on the Resolver type. (e.g. GitRemoteResolver would fetch the git refs with git ls-remote --tags --heads, and check if there is a higher version that complies with the target).
- This check should be as quick as possible. If the process of checking a new version is too slow, it's preferable to just assume there is a new version.
- If there is no way to check if there is a higher version, assume that there is.
- If the Resolver indicates that the cached version is outdated, then it is treated as a cache miss.
RESOLVE CACHE MISSES - Any cache miss needs to be resolved, so the PackageRepository requests each of the remaining resolvers to resolve, and waits.
CACHE RESOLVED PACKAGES - As the resolvers complete the resolution, the PackageRepository stores the canonic packages in the ResolveCache, along with the source, version, and any additional information that the Resolver provides. This allows resolvers to store additional details about the fetched package to be used for future cache hit validations (e.g. store HTTP expiration headers in the case of the UrlPackage).
RETURN PACKAGE TO MANAGER - The PackageRepository returns the canonical package to the Manager.
EVALUATE RESOLVED PACKAGE DEPENDENCIES - The Manager checks if the returned canonical packages have a bower.json file describing additional dependencies and, if so, continue in point #3. If there are no more unresolved dependencies, finish up the installation procedure.

Architecture components details

Manager

Main resolve coordinator.

Constructor

Manager(config, logger)

The config to be used. The logger to print logs to.

Public methods

Manager#setProduction(production): Manager

Enable/disable production (read of devDependencies).

Manager#getResolutions(): Object

Get the current resolutions object.

Manager#setResolutions(resolutions, save): Manager

Set the resolutions to be used on conflicts. If save is true, the resolutions object will be updated.

Manager#configure(targets, resolved, installed): Manager

Configures the manager with targets and installed:

targets: array of decomposed endpoints that need to be installed
resolved: object of resolved packages (keys are names and values the reconstructed decomposed endpoints)
installed: object of currently installed packages (keys are names and values the package metas)

targets and resolved decomposed endpoints should contain dependency and dependants keys correctly set. If the Manager is already working, the promise is immediately rejected.

Manager#resolve(): Promise

Starts the resolve process, returning a promise of an object which keys are package names and values the associated resolve info (decomposed endpoints plus package meta and other info).

If the Manager is already working, the promise is immediately rejected.

Manager#install(): Promise

Installs packages that result from the dissection of the resolve process. The promise is resolved with an object where keys are package names and values the package meta's.

If the Manager is already working, the promise is immediately rejected.

TODO

Manager#areCompatible(source, subject): Boolean

TODO

PackageRepository

Abstraction to the underlying complexity of heterogeneous source types

Constructor

PackageRepository(config, logger)

The config to be used. The logger to print logs to.

Public methods

PackageRepository#fetch(decEndpoint): Promise

Fetches and endpoint, returning a promise of a canonical package.

PackageRepository#empty(name): Promise

Empties any resolved cache for package name or all the resolved cache if no name is passed.

PackageRepository#eliminate(source, version): Promise

Eliminates entry with given source and version from the repository.
Note that version can be empty because some canonical packages do not have a version associated. In that case, only the unversioned entry will be removed.

PackageRepository#clean(): Promise

Cleans the entire repository.

PackageRepository#list(): Promise

List the entries of the cache.
Return a promise of an array of package metas.

ResolverFactory

Simple function that takes a decomposed endpoint and creates an instance of a concrete Resolver that obeys the base Resolver interface.

function createResolver(decEndpoint, registryClient, config) -> Promise

The function is async to allow querying the Bower registry, etc.
The registryClient is an instance of RegistryClient to be used. If null, the registry won't be queried.
If config is not passed, the default config will be used.

ResolveCache

The cache, stored in disk, of resolved packages (canonical packages).

Constructor

ResolveCache(config)

Public functions

ResolveCache#retrieve(source, target): Promise

Retrieves canonical package for a given source and target (optional, defaults to *).
The promise is resolved with both the canonical package and package meta.

ResolveCache#store(canonicalPackage, pkgMeta): Promise

Stores canonicalPackage into the cache.
The pkgMeta is optional and will be read if not passed.

ResolveCache#eliminate(source, version): Promise

Eliminates entry with given source and version from the cache.
Note that version can be empty because some canonical packages do not have a version associated. In that case, only the unversioned entry will be removed.

ResolveCache#clean(): Promise

Cleans the entire cache.

ResolveCache#list(): Promise

List the entries of the cache.
Return a promise of an array of package metas.

Resolver

Think of Resolver as an abstract class that implements the resolver interface as well as serving as a base for other resolver types.

Resolvers are responsible for the following:

Based on an endpoint, fetch the contents of the package into a temporary folder (step is implemented by the _resolveSelf() method).
After the package is fetched, the bower.json/component.json (deprecated) file is read, validated and normalised (fill in properties) into a package meta object. If the file does not exist, a base one is inferred. Note that this should be done using a node module that is common for both the Bower client and the server.
Update any relevant information based on the package meta (e.g. this step may emit a name_change).
Applying the ignore constraint based on the package meta. Files are effectively removed in this step.
Attach any additional meta data to the package meta. (e.g. the UrlResolver might store some HTTP response headers, to aid the hasNew() decision later on).
Storing the package meta into a .bower.json hidden file.

Constructor

Resolver(decEndpoint, config)

Public functions

Resolver#getSource(): String

Returns the source.

Resolver#getName(): String

Returns the name.

Resolver#getTarget(): String

Returns the target.

Resolver#getTempDir(): String

Returns the local temporary folder into which the package is being fetched. The files will remain here until the folder is moved when installing.

Resolver#hasNew(canonicalPkg, pkgMeta): Promise

Checks if there is a version more recent than the provided canonicalPkg (folder) that complies with the resolver target. The hasNew process is as follows:

Reads the package meta from the canonical package if not supplied
If there's an error while reading the package meta, it resolves to true because the package might be broken
Otherwise, calls _hasNew() with the canonical package and package meta as arguments

If the resolver is already working, either resolving or checking for a newer version, the promise is immediately rejected.

Resolver#resolve(): Promise

Resolves the resolver, and returns a promise of a canonical package. The resolve process is as follows:

Calls _createTempDir() and waits.
When done, calls _resolve() and waits.
When done, calls _readJson() and waits (validation and normalisation also happens here).
When done, calls both functions below, and waits:
- _applyPkgMeta(meta)
- _savePkgMeta(meta)
When done, resolves the promise with the temp dir, which is now a canonical package.

If the resolver is already working, either resolving or checking for a newer version, the promise is immediately rejected.

Resolver#getPkgMeta(): Object

Get the package meta. Essentially, it's what you'll find in .bower.json. Throws an error if the resolver is not yet resolved.

Public static functions

Resolver#clearRuntimeCache()

Clears the resolver runtime cache, that is, data stored statically. Resolvers may cache data based on the sources to speed up calls to hasNew and resolve for the same source.

Protected functions

Resolver#_hasNew(pkgMeta, canonicalPkg): Promise

The process of checking for a newer version. This function should be as fast as possible.
Concrete resolvers are encouraged to rewrite this function since the default implementation resolves to true.

Resolver#_createTempDir(): Promise

Creates a temporary dir.

Resolver#_readJson(): Promise

Reads bower.json/component.json, possibly by using a dedicated read-json node module that will be available in the Bower organisation.

This method also generates the package meta based on the json, filling in any missing information, inferring when possible.

Resolver#_applyPkgMeta(meta): Promise

Since the package meta might contain some information that has implications to the canonical state of the package, this is where these rules are enforced.

Checks if the resolver name is different from the json one. If so and if the name was "guessed", the name of the package will be updated and a name_change event will be emitted.
Deletes files that are specified in the ignore property of the json from the temporary directory.

Resolver#_savePkgMeta(meta): Promise

Stores the package meta into a .bower.json file inside the root of the package. Concrete resolvers may override this to add any additional information that might be relevant to be stored. A UrlResolver could, for example, store some HTTP headers, that would be useful when comparing versions, in the hasNew() method.

Abstract functions that must be implemented by concrete resolvers.

Resolver#_resolve(): Promise

The actual process of fetching the package files. This method must he implemented by concrete resolvers. For instance, the UrlResolver would download the contents of a URL into the temporary directory in this stage.

Resolver types

The following resolvers will extend from Resolver.js and obey its interface.

LocalResolver extends Resolver (dependencies pointing to files of folders in the own system)
UrlResolver extends Resolver (dependencies pointing to downloadable resources)
GitFsResolver extends Resolver (git dependencies available in the local file system)
GitRemoteResolver extends Resolver or GitFsResolver (remote git dependencies)
PublishedResolver extends Resolver (? makes sense if bower supports a publish model, just like npm).

The ResolverFactory knows these types, and is able to fabricate suitable resolvers based on the source type.

This architecture makes it very easy for the community to create others package types, for instance, a MercurialFsResolver, MercurialResolver, SvnResolver, etc.