What is colon : in npm script names?

Question

Trying to figure out what putting : in an npm script name does. For example:

package.json

\"test:ci\": \"rest of script\"
         


        

Answer 1

If using Yarn package manager, you can use a colon in the name to call the script from any workspace.

According to the yarn docs on How to share scripts between workspaces?:

Little-known Yarn feature: any script with a colon in its name (build:foo) can be called from any workspace.

Also, according to yarn docs on CLI > run:

Otherwise, if the specified name contains a colon character and if one of the workspaces in the project contains exactly one script with a matching name, then this script will get executed.