Version Details and Security Vulnerabilities

Date-format version 4.0.2 represents a subtle but potentially important update over its predecessor, version 4.0.1. Both versions maintain the core functionality of formatting JavaScript Date objects into readable strings, a task the library has performed reliably since 2013. The key differences lie in the development dependencies and package specifics. While both versions share core dependencies like Mocha for testing, ESLint for code linting, and Should.js for assertions, version 4.0.2 updates the eslint-plugin-mocha dependency to version 10.0.3, a significant jump from version 5.3.0 in 4.0.1 indicating improved linting rules for Mocha tests.

Interestingly, the dist object reveals notable changes in packaging. Version 4.0.2 boasts a smaller tarball, significantly fewer files (4 compared to 12), and a reduced unpacked size (10.9 KB vs. 25.9 KB). This suggests a streamlining of the package, potentially indicating removal of unnecessary files or more efficient packaging techniques. The newer version was released on January 14, 2022, a few days after version 4.0.1 released on January 11, 2022.

For developers, this means that version 4.0.2 offers potentially faster installation times and a smaller footprint within their projects, thanks to the reduced package size. While the core formatting functionality remains consistent, developers relying heavily on ESLint's Mocha plugin might find the updated rules in 4.0.2 beneficial for catching potential issues during development. When in doubt, upgrading is recommended for the security patching and improvements even if the changelog don't provide much information, but keep in mind the file count and unpacked size that are significantly reduced in the version 4.0.2.