The key to using Monorepo to manage front-end projects is to choose the right tools, have clear structure and reasonable configuration. 1. Mainstream tools include Lerna (suitable for medium and large projects), Turborepo (fast build speed), Nx (powerful) and pnpm workspace (lightweight). New projects are recommended to start with pnpm workspace Turborepo; 2. The project structure is commonly used to place shared modules for packages, apps for specific applications, and unify naming specifications and directory structures; 3. Unify dependency management and construction processes, use workspace:* or link: to refer to local packages, build uniformly through turbo run build and use cache to improve efficiency; 4. Pay attention to sharing code boundaries and version control, avoid circular dependencies, and use peerDependencies and changeset to manage version compatibility and changes.

When I first started using Monorepo to manage front-end projects, many people would think that "it sounds very advanced, but how do you start?" In fact, its core logic is not complicated: put multiple projects in one warehouse, share code, unify versions, and improve collaboration efficiency. The key is to choose the right tools, have clear structure and reasonable configuration.

1. Choose a suitable Monorepo tool

Currently, mainstream tools include Lerna, Nx, Turborepo and pnpm workspace. They each have their own focus, and which one to choose depends on your project size and team habits.

• Lerna : Suitable for medium and large projects, supports version management and release processes, but the configuration is slightly complicated.
• Turborepo : Fast build speed, suitable for multi-project parallel construction and caching, suitable for teams that require frequent CI construction.
• Nx : Powerful, suitable for large-scale projects such as Angular and React, with many built-in plug-ins and code generation capabilities.
• pnpm workspace : A lightweight solution for teams who want to use Monorepo structure but do not want to introduce complex tools.

If you are a new project, it is recommended to start with pnpm workspace Turborepo , which has simple structure and good performance.

2. Rationally divide the project structure

Monorepo's structural design directly affects the convenience of subsequent maintenance. A common structure is:

 my-monorepo/
├── packages/
│ ├── shared/
│ ├── web/
│ └── mobile/
├── apps/
│ ├── admin/
│ └── landing/
├── turbo.json
├── package.json
└── pnpm-workspace.yaml

• Packages to share modules or reusable components
• Apps puts specific applications, such as management background, official website, etc.
• Each subproject can have its own package.json , but share the dependency version of the root directory

It is recommended to unify the naming specifications and directory structure in the early stage, such as the component library is called shared and the web application is placed in apps/web to avoid the trouble caused by later changing the structure.

3. Unified dependency management and construction process

In Monorepo, unifying dependency versions and build processes is critical. Otherwise, it is easy to have the problem of "why does this library still report an error even if you have installed it."

• Use workspace:* or link: to reference local packages and avoid repeated releases
• Use commands such as turbo run build to speed up the process using cache
• Configure turbo.json to specify the input and output of each project to avoid repeated construction

For example, if you change the code in shared package, it will only affect the admin application, then landing will not be rebuilt and the efficiency will be significantly improved.

4. Pay attention to the boundaries and version control of shared code

Sharing code is a major advantage of Monorepo, but it is also easy to abuse. for example:

• Don't let applications depend too deeply on each other, which can easily cause circular references
• Public components or tool functions should be stable, frequent changes will affect all items that reference it.
• You can consider using peerDependencies to control version compatibility

If your shared code changes frequently, consider using changeset to manage version changes so that each update will know which projects affect it.

Basically that's it. Monorepo is not complicated, but there are many details. If you spend some time planning the structure and process in the early stage, the development efficiency will be much improved later.

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