Separate module-author internals from the user-facing entry point #1562

What happens

testcontainers has a single entry point (main: build/index.js, no exports map) that serves both test authors and module authors. Utilities that exist for the modules and for core itself are exported next to the user-facing API, and every one of them is covered by semver:

• log, IntervalRetry, Retry
• Uuid, RandomUuid, randomUuid
• PortGenerator, RandomPortGenerator
• BoundPorts, getContainerPort, hasHostBinding
• getReaper, LABEL_TESTCONTAINERS_SESSION_ID
• ContainerRuntimeClient, getContainerRuntimeClient, waitForContainer

Dockerode types are part of the public contract as well:

• WaitStrategy.waitUntilReady(container: Dockerode.Container, ...)
• StartupCheckStrategy.checkStartupState(dockerClient: Dockerode, ...)
• the protected createOpts: ContainerCreateOptions and hostConfig: HostConfig on GenericContainer, which subclasses read and write directly

That is why @types/dockerode is a runtime dependency, and why a Dockerode major is a breaking change here.

Because there is no exports map, consumers can also import anything under testcontainers/build/....

Usage inside this repo is narrow. Most modules import only GenericContainer, AbstractStartedContainer, Wait and StartedTestContainer. Five of them (kafka, redpanda, localstack, ollama, couchbase) reach for the runtime client, BoundPorts, waitForContainer or getReaper.

Expected

• The main entry exports what a test author needs.
• Module-author utilities move to a separate subpath (for example testcontainers/module) with its own, looser stability promise.
• An exports map closes off deep imports.
• Dockerode types stay out of the user-facing signatures where possible.

Where

• packages/testcontainers/src/index.ts
• packages/testcontainers/package.json
• biome.json (the import boundary rule that pins modules to the testcontainers entry point)

Notes

• Removing exports and adding an exports map are both breaking, hence major.
• Related: Export the types used in public method signatures #1528 (types that should be exported but are not).
• Go keeps this split with internal/ packages.

Dependencies

• Blocked by Pass the started container to WaitStrategy.waitUntilReady #1558: that removes Dockerode.Container and BoundPorts from the wait strategy interface, which decides what is left to move.
• Blocked by Remove the Uuid test seam from public constructors #1561: that removes the Uuid exports outright.
• Coordinate with Export the types used in public method signatures #1528: both edit index.ts.
• Coordinate with Add an escape hatch for raw container create options #1550: an escape hatch is the alternative to subclasses reaching into the protected fields.