How to patch a Composer library? [duplicate] - php

Question

This is my composer.json, I want to use Nodge's fork of lessphp project on Github
"repositories": [{
"type": "package",
"package": {
"version": "dev-master",
"name": "nodge/lessphp",
"source": {
"url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp.git",
"type": "git",
"reference": "master"
},
"autoload": {
"classmap": ["lessc.inc.php"]
}
}
}],
"require": {
"php": ">=5.3.3",
"nodge/lessphp": "dev-master"
},
But I get this error when I run composer update:
nodge/lessphp dev-master -> no matching package found.
I don't know how to require correctly this fork.

Answer 1

The most common (and easiest) way of doing it is using a VCS repository.
All you have to do is add your fork as a repository and update the
version constraint to point to your custom branch. Your custom branch
name must be prefixed with dev-.
Assuming you forked monolog/monolog and created a branch called bugfix, you would update your composer.json like this:
{
"repositories": [
{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "https://github.com/igorw/monolog"
}
],
"require": {
"monolog/monolog": "dev-bugfix"
}
}
Note that you don't change the require statement except to specify your bugfix branch. You still reference the upstream package (monolog/monolog), not your personal fork (igorw/monolog), and the branch name is prefixed with dev-. You can read details in the docs

Answer 2

Using VCS works:
"name": "test/test",
"repositories": [{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "http://github.com/Nodge/lessphp"
}],
"require": {
"leafo/lessphp": "dev-master"
},
But if I require a module that has this composer.json, it doesn't work. It installs the original project, not the fork.
Example
"name": "example/example",
"require": {
"test/test": "dev-master"
},
I should mention again the repository. Is that normal?

Answer 3

If you can't get #Neilime answer to work for you, make sure your fork uses a different branch.
For example push your changes to a branch on your fork called my-bugfix, do not added dev- prefix in your branch name but in your composer.json you have to add it. Your composer file will look like:
"repositories":
[
{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "http://github.com/yourname/packageName"
}
],
"require": {
"owner/packageName": "dev-my-bugfix"
},

Answer 4

I have tried many options but After I got this post I saw the light and it just worked perfect.
This is what you have to do:
1- Fork The repository
2- Create a branch and make the required modifications.
3- Add the repository label to your composer.json
"repositories": [
{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "https://github.com/user/yourforkname"
}
]
4- In the command line inside your project require your fork like this:
composer require vendor/packagename:dev-branchname
And Voilá!!
You have your fork version working

Answer 5

According to the Composer documentation
http://getcomposer.org/doc/05-repositories.md#vcs, it's enough to
specify the original repository (not the fork) in the require ("nodge/lessphp" in your case). Composer will then install YOUR fork (look at the code in the vendors)

Answer 6

So, this is 2019, and most of the answers here are already correct.
If you find yourself however, in a situation where you need to require a particular branch of your fork (that you created), have composer list the available versions/tags first.
This saved me a lot of time.
A full example with spatie/laravel-backup package.
First, add repositories key to composer.json. With the url of your fork
"repositories": [{
"type": "vcs",
"url": "https://github.com/holymp2006/laravel-backup"
}]
Get available versions/tags
composer show "spatie/laravel-backup" --all
Choose the version you want from versions in the terminal output, then require that version
composer require spatie/laravel-backup:v5.x-dev

Answer 7

I usually add a "dist" node to the package definition.
I never had a problem using it this way.
I can't remember where I got this trick from, though, for any further explanations.
{
"repositories": [
{
"type": "package",
"package": {
"version": "dev-master",
"name": "nodge/lessphp",
"source": {
"url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp.git",
"type": "git",
"reference": "master"
},
"autoload": {
"classmap": ["lessc.inc.php"]
},
"dist": {
"url": "https://github.com/Nodge/lessphp/archive/master.zip",
"type": "zip"
}
}
}
],
"require": {
"nodge/lessphp": "*"
}
}

Answer 8

The accepted answer and clarifying answers all worked well for me when I had ex. an application, which needed a dependency I had forked and modified. I’d still use the accepted answer in this case.
However, when I had a package I wanted to distribute myself on Packagist, which also contained a forked and modified dependency, this approach no longer worked.
If someone were to try and install with this config, they’ll still get that same -> no matching package found. error message.
This answer and the linked Composer docs suggest that the repo settings have to be at the top-level composer.json. That means, someone installing this package would have to add that config to their composer.json file too—which adds a lot of unnecessary confusion to the install process.
Instead, I published my fork to Packagist. My understanding is that while forks are frowned upon, this would be considered a maintained fork, since I am using it for this new package.
Hopefully that’s helpful for anyone who has this problem with a package or library they’d like to distribute.