Upgrade Magento vendor module(dependency|library) to a newer version

Question

Magento uses multiple "external" dependencies|libraries for example one of them is dotmailer-magento2-extension. This specific module is at version 3.1.1 as it can be seen here vendor/dotmailer/dotmailer-magento2-extension/composer.json

Is there any way to upgrade such a dependency module|library to a newer version? For example to update dotmailer module to 3.1.2.

I'm not looking to update the dotmailer module in particular but for a general way to update magento dependencies like libraries or modules.

Answer 1

composer update from web root will mass update extensions and components based on version parameters in composer.json.

Or you can require a particular version of something if you want more control over what updates

composer require magento-modules/m2-banner-manager:1.0.5

If you update something that is dependent on something else being newer or whatever composer will sort for you.

Likewise if there is a restriction such as php version supported by component or library composer will throw error.

Although there is a lesser known trick for removing bloatware that comes with vanilla M2 install.

https://www.integer-net.com/removing-unused-core-modules-from-magento-2-the-right-way/ https://www.integer-net.com/make-magento-2-small-again/

require": {
    [...]
},
"replace": {
    "temando/module-shipping-m2": "*",
    "dotmailer/dotmailer-magento2-extension": "*",
    "shopialfb/facebook-module": "*",
    "klarna/module-kp": "*",
    "klarna/module-ordermanagement": "*",
    "klarna/module-core": "*",
    "amzn/amazon-pay-sdk-php": "*",
    "amzn/amazon-pay-and-login-with-amazon-core-module": "*",
    "amzn/login-with-amazon-module": "*",
    "amzn/amazon-pay-module": "*",
    "vertex/module-tax": "*"
},
"config": {
    [...]

Then run composer install or composer update depending on whether you want other stuff to update.

Update

You stated that updating an individual component resulted in 2 being in vendor.

This isn't right.

As a test I decided to update colinmollenhour/cache-backend-file to version 1.4.5. Not in initial composer.json file but brought in elsewhere. As you can see composer correctly performed the upgrade.

user@cli:/var/www/magento# composer require colinmollenhour/cache-backend-file:1.4.5
./composer.json has been updated
Loading composer repositories with package information
Updating dependencies (including require-dev)
Package operations: 0 installs, 1 update, 0 removals
  - Updating colinmollenhour/cache-backend-file (v1.4.4 => v1.4.5): As there is no 'unzip' command installed zip files are being unpacked using the PHP zip extension.
This may cause invalid reports of corrupted archives. Installing 'unzip' may remediate them.
Downloading (100%)
Package phpunit/phpunit-mock-objects is abandoned, you should avoid using it. No replacement was suggested.
Writing lock file
Generating autoload files
user@cli:/var/www/magento#

Site is operational.

composer.json (before)

{
    "name": "magento/project-community-edition",
    "description": "eCommerce Platform for Growth (Community Edition)",
    "type": "project",
    "license": [
        "OSL-3.0",
        "AFL-3.0"
    ],
    "config": {
        "preferred-install": "dist",
        "sort-packages": true
    },
    "require": {
        "magento/module-bundle-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-catalog-rule-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-catalog-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-cms-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-configurable-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-customer-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-downloadable-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-grouped-product-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-msrp-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-offline-shipping-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-product-links-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-review-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-sales-rule-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-sales-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-swatches-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-tax-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-theme-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-widget-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-wishlist-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/product-community-edition": "2.3.0",
        "magento/sample-data-media": "100.3.*"
    },
    "require-dev": {
        "friendsofphp/php-cs-fixer": "~2.13.0",
        "lusitanian/oauth": "~0.8.10",
        "magento/magento2-functional-testing-framework": "2.3.9",
        "pdepend/pdepend": "2.5.2",
        "phpmd/phpmd": "@stable",
        "phpunit/phpunit": "~6.5.0",
        "sebastian/phpcpd": "~3.0.0",
        "squizlabs/php_codesniffer": "3.3.1"
    },
    "conflict": {
        "gene/bluefoot": "*"
    },
    "autoload": {
        "psr-4": {
            "Magento\\Framework\\": "lib/internal/Magento/Framework/",
            "Magento\\Setup\\": "setup/src/Magento/Setup/",
            "Magento\\": "app/code/Magento/",
            "Zend\\Mvc\\Controller\\": "setup/src/Zend/Mvc/Controller/"
        },
        "psr-0": {
            "": [
                "app/code/",
                "generated/code/"
            ]
        },
        "files": [
            "app/etc/NonComposerComponentRegistration.php"
        ],
        "exclude-from-classmap": [
            "**/dev/**",
            "**/update/**",
            "**/Test/**"
        ]
    },
    "autoload-dev": {
        "psr-4": {
            "Magento\\Sniffs\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/Sniffs/",
            "Magento\\Tools\\": "dev/tools/Magento/Tools/",
            "Magento\\Tools\\Sanity\\": "dev/build/publication/sanity/Magento/Tools/Sanity/",
            "Magento\\TestFramework\\Inspection\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/TestFramework/Inspection/",
            "Magento\\TestFramework\\Utility\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/TestFramework/Utility/"
        }
    },
    "version": "2.3.0",
    "minimum-stability": "stable",
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "composer",
            "url": "https://repo.magento.com/"
        }
    ],
    "extra": {
        "magento-force": "override"
    }
}

composer.json (after)

{
    "name": "magento/project-community-edition",
    "description": "eCommerce Platform for Growth (Community Edition)",
    "type": "project",
    "license": [
        "OSL-3.0",
        "AFL-3.0"
    ],
    "config": {
        "preferred-install": "dist",
        "sort-packages": true
    },
    "require": {
        "colinmollenhour/cache-backend-file": "1.4.5",
        "magento/module-bundle-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-catalog-rule-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-catalog-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-cms-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-configurable-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-customer-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-downloadable-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-grouped-product-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-msrp-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-offline-shipping-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-product-links-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-review-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-sales-rule-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-sales-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-swatches-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-tax-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-theme-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-widget-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/module-wishlist-sample-data": "100.3.*",
        "magento/product-community-edition": "2.3.0",
        "magento/sample-data-media": "100.3.*"
    },
    "require-dev": {
        "friendsofphp/php-cs-fixer": "~2.13.0",
        "lusitanian/oauth": "~0.8.10",
        "magento/magento2-functional-testing-framework": "2.3.9",
        "pdepend/pdepend": "2.5.2",
        "phpmd/phpmd": "@stable",
        "phpunit/phpunit": "~6.5.0",
        "sebastian/phpcpd": "~3.0.0",
        "squizlabs/php_codesniffer": "3.3.1"
    },
    "conflict": {
        "gene/bluefoot": "*"
    },
    "autoload": {
        "psr-4": {
            "Magento\\Framework\\": "lib/internal/Magento/Framework/",
            "Magento\\Setup\\": "setup/src/Magento/Setup/",
            "Magento\\": "app/code/Magento/",
            "Zend\\Mvc\\Controller\\": "setup/src/Zend/Mvc/Controller/"
        },
        "psr-0": {
            "": [
                "app/code/",
                "generated/code/"
            ]
        },
        "files": [
            "app/etc/NonComposerComponentRegistration.php"
        ],
        "exclude-from-classmap": [
            "**/dev/**",
            "**/update/**",
            "**/Test/**"
        ]
    },
    "autoload-dev": {
        "psr-4": {
            "Magento\\Sniffs\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/Sniffs/",
            "Magento\\Tools\\": "dev/tools/Magento/Tools/",
            "Magento\\Tools\\Sanity\\": "dev/build/publication/sanity/Magento/Tools/Sanity/",
            "Magento\\TestFramework\\Inspection\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/TestFramework/Inspection/",
            "Magento\\TestFramework\\Utility\\": "dev/tests/static/framework/Magento/TestFramework/Utility/"
        }
    },
    "version": "2.3.0",
    "minimum-stability": "stable",
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "composer",
            "url": "https://repo.magento.com/"
        }
    ],
    "extra": {
        "magento-force": "override"
    }
}

Answer 2

For this case, the composer.json only requires "magento/product-community-edition": "2.3.3"

The composer.lock file contains "magento/product-community-edition" with a dependency on dotmailer-magento2-extension at a fixed version. So, unless there's a new version of magento community, no upgrade will happen.

Also, the package source for dotmailer-magento2-extension will be from magento's internal repository, rather than github/packagist where the latest versions reside.

So in answer to your question, to upgrade dotmailer-magento2-extension you will need to run:

composer require dotmailer/dotmailer-magento2-extension:"X as Y"

Where X is the current version of the extension and Y is the version you want.