Awesome Reviewers

Before adding or updating dependencies, thoroughly evaluate API compatibility and understand the implications of using forks versus upstream versions. This prevents recurring dependency issues and ensures long-term maintainability.

Key evaluation steps:

1. Identify API differences: Document what patches or changes exist in forked dependencies compared to upstream
2. Assess upstream status: Check if fork-specific changes have been upstreamed or rejected, and understand the reasoning
3. Avoid duplicate dependencies: Prevent having multiple forks of the same dependency in your dependency tree
4. Plan migration path: For necessary forks, establish a clear path to contribute changes upstream or migrate to upstream versions

Example from dependency analysis:

// Before adding:
require github.com/tilt-dev/fsnotify v1.4.8-0.20220602155310-fff9c274a375

// Evaluate: What API differences exist?
// - SetRecursive method not in upstream
// - Windows-specific patches upstreamed but not released
// - Consider pinning to upstream commit hash as interim solution

This approach helps avoid situations where dependencies cause recurring problems or create maintenance burdens due to API incompatibilities.

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