Dart's Powerful CLI: Mastering the `pub unpack` Command

Dart, with its powerful CLI, offers tools that make managing and inspecting packages easier. One such feature is the pub unpack command, which allows you to unpack packages directly into your development environment. This article explores how to use this tool and customize its operation according to your needs.

The Basics of pub unpack

The pub unpack command downloads and extracts packages from Pub.dev to the current directory. This is useful when you need to inspect the source code or better understand the structure of a package. For example, the following command downloads and extracts the latest stable version of the http package:

dart pub unpack http

Specifying Versions and Sources

Sometimes, you may want to inspect a specific version of a package or even download it from a custom source. This is possible by adding a source descriptor after the package name followed by a :. Here's an example of how to download version 1.2.0 of the http package:

dart pub unpack http:1.2.0

The source descriptor supports more configurations, following the same syntax as the dart pub add command. To better understand the possibilities, check the documentation on source descriptors in dart pub add.

Additional Options

The pub unpack command offers several options that enhance its flexibility:

• Force Overwrite (--force or -f): If the destination directory already contains a folder with the same name as the package, you can overwrite the existing files using the --force option:

  dart pub unpack http --force

• Disable Automatic Resolution (--no-resolve): By default, after unpacking the package, Dart automatically runs the pub get command to resolve dependencies. If you want to disable this automatic resolution, use --no-resolve:

  dart pub unpack http --no-resolve

• Specify Output Directory (--output= or -o ): By default, the package is extracted in the current directory. However, you can specify a different output directory:

  dart pub unpack http:1.2.0 --output=local_http_copies

Conclusion

The pub unpack is a versatile tool that goes beyond simple package unpacking. With the ability to specify versions, sources, and options like overwriting and automatic resolution, it becomes an essential tool for any Dart developer who wants more granular control over the packages they use. Whether for debugging, learning, or simply out of curiosity, pub unpack is a valuable addition to your development toolkit.