When publishing can I replace "link:../dir" with the version of the package being linked with? - node.js

Question

In my package.json I have
"dependencies": {
"components": "link:../components",
"react": "^16.9.0",
"react-dom": "^16.9.0"
}
This works fine during development, however when trying to publish the packages to npm the "link:../components" is published into the package.
Is there a way to take the "link:../components" and replace it with the version of the package.json in the file it's being linked with?
basically
"dependencies": {
"components": "link:../components",
"react": "^16.9.0",
"react-dom": "^16.9.0"
}
would convert to
"dependencies": {
"components": "1.2.3",
"react": "^16.9.0",
"react-dom": "^16.9.0"
}
before being published to npm. The linked dependency would remain locally, though.

Answer 1

npm link is a development utility to test your npm packages before you publish them.
https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/link
Using your example names, say you are developing a npm package components. While you are developing it, you want to test it in your main project (The consumer of your package).
The way to go about this is, to go in your components package dir, and run npm link, this will create a global link in your system that will make it available to other projects.
So now you can go in your main project dir, and run npm link components (components is the name of your package, not to be confused with dir name)
This is fine during development, but of course won't work when you publish your packages.
Is there a way to take the "link:../components" and replace it with the version of >the package.json in the file it's being linked with?
First publish components package to npm (A good
article
that explains it)
In your main project dir, run npm unlink
components.
This will remove the global link to components in your
project dir.
In your main project dir, run npm install components.
This will fetch components from npm.