# `mix deps`
[🔗](https://github.com/elixir-lang/elixir/blob/7ff272706afc522e74121493b7166719985cb099/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/deps.ex#L5)

Lists dependencies and their status.

Dependencies must be specified in the `mix.exs` file in one of
the following formats:

    {app, requirement}
    {app, opts}
    {app, requirement, opts}

Where:

  * app is an atom
  * requirement is a `Version` requirement or a regular expression
  * opts is a keyword list of options

For example:

    {:plug, ">= 0.4.0"}
    {:gettext, git: "https://github.com/elixir-lang/gettext.git", tag: "0.1"}
    {:local_dependency, path: "path/to/local_dependency"}

By default, dependencies are fetched using the [Hex package manager](https://hex.pm/):

    {:plug, ">= 0.4.0"}

By specifying such dependencies, Mix will automatically install
Hex (if it wasn't previously installed) and download a package
suitable to your project. Note Hex expects the dependency
requirement to always be given and it will warn otherwise.

Mix also supports Git and path dependencies:

    {:foobar, git: "https://github.com/elixir-lang/foobar.git", tag: "0.1"}
    {:foobar, path: "path/to/foobar"}

And also in umbrella dependencies:

    {:my_app, in_umbrella: true}

Path and in umbrella dependencies are automatically recompiled by
the parent project whenever they change. While fetchable dependencies,
like the ones using `:git`, are recompiled only when fetched/updated.

The dependencies' versions are expected to be formatted according to
Semantic Versioning and the requirements must be specified as defined
in the `Version` module.

## Options

Below we provide a more detailed look into the available options.

### Dependency definition options

  * `:app` - when set to `false`, does not read the app file for this
    dependency. By default, the app file is read

  * `:env` - the environment (as an atom) to run the dependency on.
    While your current project runs in `:dev` by default, dependencies
    defaults to `:prod` (except for `:in_umbrella` dependencies, see
    below)

  * `:compile` - a command (string) to compile the dependency; defaults to a `mix`,
    `rebar` or `make` command

  * `:optional` - marks the dependency as optional. In such cases, the
    current project will always include the optional dependency but any
    other project that depends on the current project won't be forced to
    use the optional dependency. However, if the other project includes
    the optional dependency on its own, the requirements and options
    specified here will also be applied. Optional dependencies will _not_
    be started by the application. You should consider compiling your
    projects with the `mix compile --no-optional-deps --warnings-as-errors`
    during test, to ensure your project compiles without warnings even
    if optional dependencies are missing

  * `:only` - the dependency is made available only in the given environments,
    useful when declaring dev- or test-only dependencies; by default the
    dependency will be available in all environments. The value of this option
    can either be a single environment (like `:dev`) or a list of environments
    (like `[:dev, :test]`). Keep in mind that your project runs in the `:dev`
    environment by default, however, all of your dependencies run in the `:prod`
    environment (unless the `:env` option above is given)

  * `:targets` - the dependency is made available only for the given targets.
    By default the dependency will be available in all targets. The value
    of this option can either be a single target (like `:host`) or a list of
    targets (like `[:host, :rpi3]`)

  * `:override` - if set to `true` the dependency will override any other
    definitions of itself by other dependencies

  * `:manager` - Mix can also compile Rebar3 and makefile projects
    and can fetch sub dependencies of Rebar3 projects. Mix will
    try to infer the type of project but it can be overridden with this
    option by setting it to `:mix`, `:rebar3`, or `:make`. In case
    there are conflicting definitions, the first manager in the list above
    will be picked up. For example, if a dependency is found with `:rebar3`
    as a manager in different part of the trees, `:rebar3` will be automatically
    picked. You can find the manager by running `mix deps` and override it by
    setting the `:override` option in a top-level project.

  * `:runtime` - whether the dependency is part of runtime applications.
    If the `:applications` key is not provided in `def application` in your
    `mix.exs` file, Mix will automatically include all dependencies as a runtime
    application, except if `runtime: false` is given. Defaults to `true`.

  * `:system_env` - an enumerable of key-value tuples of binaries to be set
    as environment variables when loading or compiling the dependency

When a project is used as a dependency, it runs by default in the `:prod`
environment. Therefore, if your project has dependencies that are only
useful in development or testing, you want to specify those dependencies with
the `:only` option above. You can also specify `:optional` dependencies
in your project, which are not enforced upon users of your library, as outlined
above. Finally, the [lockfile](`Mix.Project#module-configuration`) (usually
named `mix.lock`) is ignored when a project is used as a dependency.

### Git options (`:git`)

  * `:git` - the Git repository URI
  * `:github` - a shortcut for specifying Git repos from GitHub, uses `:git`
  * `:ref` - the reference to checkout (may be a branch, a commit SHA or a tag)
  * `:branch` - the Git branch to checkout
  * `:tag` - the Git tag to checkout
  * `:submodules` - when `true`, initialize submodules for the repo
  * `:sparse` - checkout a single directory inside the Git repository and use it
    as your Mix dependency. Search "sparse Git checkouts" for more information.
  * `:subdir` *(since v1.13.0)* - search for the project in the given directory
    relative to the git checkout. This is similar to `:sparse` option but instead
    of a doing a sparse checkout it does a full checkout.
  * `:depth` *(since v1.17.0)* - creates a shallow clone of the Git repository,
    limiting the history to the specified number of commits. This can significantly
    improve clone speed for large repositories when full history is not needed.
    The value must be a positive integer, typically `1`. When using `:depth` with
    `:ref`, a fully spelled hex object name (a 40-character SHA-1 hash) is required.

If your Git repository requires authentication, such as basic username:password
HTTP authentication via URLs, it can be achieved via Git configuration, keeping
the access rules outside of source control.

    $ git config --global url."https://YOUR_USER:YOUR_PASS@example.com/".insteadOf "https://example.com/"

For more information, see the `git config` documentation:
https://git-scm.com/docs/git-config#Documentation/git-config.txt-urlltbasegtinsteadOf

### Path options (`:path`)

  * `:path` - the path for the dependency
  * `:in_umbrella` - when `true`, sets a path dependency pointing to
    `"../#{app}"`, sharing the same environment as the current application

### Hex options (`:hex`)

  * `:hex` - the name of the package, which defaults to the application name
  * `:repo` - the repository to fetch the package from, used by remote or
    private repositories. Defaults to the global "hexpm" repository
  * `:warn_if_outdated` - warn if there is a more recent version of the package
    published on Hex.pm

## Deps task

The `mix deps` task lists dependencies in the following format:

    APP VERSION (SCM) (MANAGER)
    [locked at REF]
    STATUS

For dependencies satisfied by Hex, `REF` is the package checksum.

For dependencies satisfied by git, `REF` is the commit object name,
and may include branch or tag information.

It supports the following options:

  * `--all` - lists all dependencies, regardless of specified environment

### Listing specific dependencies (since v1.20.0)

Pass dependency names as arguments to filter the output:

    $ mix deps phoenix phoenix_live_view

This is particularly useful when you need to quickly check versions for
bug reports or similar tasks.

---

*Consult [api-reference.md](api-reference.md) for complete listing*