Can I chain npm configuration entries?

Use of the npm config section is simple, and cool, but I've run into one restriction with it: a config entry does not get expanded, so one cannot chain them, nor even access non-config values s.a. package version within the config.

Sample:

{
  "name": "myproj",
  "version": "0.1.2",

  "//": "Here, '$npm_package_version' is not expanded",
  "config": {
    "target": "dist/myproj-$npm_package_version.js"
  },

  "scripts": {
    "echo": "echo $npm_package_config_target",
  }
}

This gives:

dist/myproj-$npm_package_version.js

instead of:

dist/myproj-0.1.2.js

Is there anything I can do about it? Chaining values like this is a useful feature - I'm surprised nom doesn't do it. Is there a reason not to?

References:

• Node.js: How to setup different variables for prod and staging


• How to use npm as a build tool