How to find actual source code of npm package for debugging

[olivias]

I installed a package called SuperButton from npm and need to debug its internal workings. When I try to look at the actual component code, I can only find the TypeScript definition file.

import React, {Component} from 'react';
import { SuperButtonLoader } from "react-super-button";
import "react-super-button/dist/styles.css";

The .d.ts file only shows type definitions like this:

declare module 'react-super-button' {
  import React, { Component } from 'react';

  export interface SuperButtonProps {
    onClick?(): void;
    isActive: boolean;
    isDisabled: boolean;
    content: React.ReactNode;
    customClass: string;
    theme: object;
    loading: boolean;
    variant: string;
  }

  export default class SuperButton extends Component<
    SuperButtonProps,
    {}
  > {}

  export interface SuperButtonLoaderProps {
    handleClick?(): void;
    children: React.ReactNode;
    isDisabled: boolean;
    showSpinner: boolean;
    spinnerText: string;
    onComplete?(): void;
    delay: number;
    successText: string;
    wrapper: React.ReactNode;
    buttonSize: string;
    buttonType: string;
  }

  export default class SuperButtonLoader extends Component<
    SuperButtonLoaderProps,
    {}
  > {}
}

Where can I find the actual implementation code instead of just these type definitions?

[Isaac_Cosmos]

Check the node_modules/react-super-button directory first. Most packages put minified code in /dist, but you’ll often find the original source in /src or /lib folders. If you only see compiled JS files, try a source map explorer or enable source maps in browser dev tools - sometimes this shows the original structure. You can also check the package.json file for a repository link and hit up the GitHub repo where the source should be. Fair warning though - some packages only ship compiled versions, which makes debugging a pain without the original repo.

[sofiap]

I’ve dealt with this before - try using npm’s unpkg CDN to browse the package online. Just go to unpkg.com/react-super-button and you can dig through all the files without downloading anything. The actual source code is often hidden in /esm or /cjs folders instead of the obvious spots. Check the package.json for “main” or “module” fields that might point to unminified versions. Newer packages often keep readable source in ES modules format even when the main entry is minified. If you’re still stuck and need to debug, either find a different package or hit up the maintainer in their repo issues.

[Bob_Clever]

clone the GitHub repo if it’s available - that’s your best bet. npm packages usually strip out source maps and readable code to save space. you could also run npm pack react-super-button to grab the full tarball and see what’s actually in there. sometimes there’s more stuff than what normally gets installed.