# \[ANN\] PkgHelpers 0.2.2 released
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkghelpers-0-2-2-released/107162
**Category:** Package Announcements
**Tags:** pkg
**Created:** [December 5, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkghelpers-0-2-2-released/107162 "2023-12-05T12:21:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkghelpers-0-2-2-released/107162/1 "2023-12-05T12:21:34Z")
[PkgHelpers](https://github.com/ufechner7/PkgHelpers.jl) provides the functions `freeze()` and `lower_bound()` to update your Project.toml file and freeze or lower\_bound your direct dependencies.
**New:**
- the new entries in `Project.toml` are sorted
- the parameter `copy_manifest` allows to
create a copy of your manifest file under
a distinct name wich documents also the
versions of your indirect dependencies
- PkgHelpers works now with Julia 1.4 to 1.11
**Usage:**
1. add PkgHelpers to your global environment
2. in your local project type
```julia
using Pkg, PkgHelpers
freeze(Pkg, copy_manifest=true)
freeze(Pkg; julia="~1.9, ~1.10", copy_manifest=true)
```
The following options are available:
| function | compat entry | range | specifier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| freeze(Pkg) | “=1.2.3” | [1.2.3, 1.2.3] | equality |
| freeze(Pkg; relax=true) | “~1.2.3” | [1.2.3, 1.3.0) | tilde |
| lower\_bound(Pkg) | “1.2.3” | [1.2.3, 2.0.0) | caret |
| lower\_bound(Pkg; relax=true) | “1.2” | [1.2.0, 2.0.0) | caret |
In contrast to the approach of committing the Manifest directly to git, this approach allows to work from multiple computers on one project using different versions of Julia on different operating systems without getting any merge conflicts.
---
### Author:  [@Datseris](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Datseris)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkghelpers-0-2-2-released/107162/2 "2023-12-05T16:47:04Z")
My understanding is that PkgHelpers is an alternative to sending the manifest and then calling `Pkg.instantiate`, right? What are the problems you encountered with the existing solution of `instantiate`?
---
### Author:  [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/ann-pkghelpers-0-2-2-released/107162/3 "2023-12-05T17:25:51Z")
> [@Datseris](#):
>
> What are the problems you encountered with the existing solution of `instantiate`?
Well, if you have different versions of Julia you cannot use the same Manifest.toml file… And if you commit it to git you get merge conflicts…
A frozen Package.toml file can work with many versions of Julia and many operating systems. If there is a merge conflict you can easily resolve it manually, no fun to solve a merge conflict of a Manifest.toml file.
In addition, a Package.toml file where the versions of all packages are specified is a nice documentation of your dependencies, new users can google the packages you used. The indirect dependencies are in general less interesting.
Finally, if you add a new package to your project the current Manifest.toml is ignored and overwritten, but the current Project.toml file is respected.