[FR]: provide select constraints for optional dependencies that define specific platforms

[qtica]

What is the current behavior?

Currently when an NPM package contains optional dependencies, and npm_translate_lock has no_optional = False, all of the optional dependencies of a package are added without constraints to the deps attribute of the rerespective npm_package_store_internal for the desired package.

In the case of nextjs, for example, it means that all of these optional dependencies will be added to the deps. This results in all of the various platform binaries for @next/swc being installed on the user's machine.

Describe the feature

I am looking for something similar to this pnpm PR for rules_js: pnpm/pnpm#3672

In short, I'd expect that all optional dependencies that provide a platform constraint, have the constraint mapped into a proper bazel select when adding the dependencies to the store target. We should be able to achieve this using the pnpm-lock file, as seen on this example swc-linux package: https://github.com/aspect-build/bazel-examples/blob/ec19825e711ef2d1db68352ed8b152cad65cd257/next.js/pnpm-lock.yaml#L268-L275

The end goal is that the build stage would only depend on dependencies that match the allowed host, which would result in fewer unneeded binaries from being installed when using packages like nextjs.

I can provide more information if necessary.

Fund our work

• Sponsor our open source work by donating a feature bounty

[gregmagolan]

For reference, there is some discussion on this feature and how to implement it in Bazel Slack here https://bazelbuild.slack.com/archives/CEZUUKQ6P/p1670931838633139

[SinimaWath]

Would be greate to have some solution or idea to solution. Bumped in same issue

[gregmagolan]

Related to evanw/esbuild#789