fix: add better hint for before and clean up description

Author: wraithgar

tap-snapshots/test/lib/docs.js.test.cjs

@@ -263,9 +263,9 @@ config is given, this value will always be set to \`legacy\`.
 * Type: null or Date
 
 If passed to \`npm install\`, will rebuild the npm tree such that only
-versions that were available **on or before** the \`--before\` time get
-installed. If there's no versions available for the current set of direct
-dependencies, the command will error.
+versions that were available **on or before** the given date are installed.
+If there are no versions available for the current set of dependencies, the
+command will error.
 
 If the requested version is a \`dist-tag\` and the given tag does not pass the
 \`--before\` filter, the most recent version less than or equal to that tag
@@ -3302,7 +3302,7 @@ Options:
 [--global-style] [--omit <dev|optional|peer> [--omit <dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--strict-peer-deps] [--prefer-dedupe] [--no-package-lock] [--package-lock-only]
-[--foreground-scripts] [--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <before>]
+[--foreground-scripts] [--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <date>]
 [--no-bin-links] [--no-fund] [--dry-run] [--cpu <cpu>] [--os <os>]
 [--libc <libc>]
 [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> ...]]
@@ -3402,7 +3402,7 @@ Options:
 [--global-style] [--omit <dev|optional|peer> [--omit <dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--strict-peer-deps] [--prefer-dedupe] [--no-package-lock] [--package-lock-only]
-[--foreground-scripts] [--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <before>]
+[--foreground-scripts] [--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <date>]
 [--no-bin-links] [--no-fund] [--dry-run] [--cpu <cpu>] [--os <os>]
 [--libc <libc>]
 [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> ...]]
@@ -3680,7 +3680,7 @@ npm outdated [<package-spec> ...]
 Options:
 [-a|--all] [--json] [-l|--long] [-p|--parseable] [-g|--global]
 [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> ...]]
-[--before <before>]
+[--before <date>]
 
 Run "npm help outdated" for more info
 
@@ -4440,7 +4440,7 @@ Options:
 [--omit <dev|optional|peer> [--omit <dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> [--include <prod|dev|optional|peer> ...]]
 [--strict-peer-deps] [--no-package-lock] [--foreground-scripts]
-[--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <before>] [--no-bin-links] [--no-fund]
+[--ignore-scripts] [--no-audit] [--before <date>] [--no-bin-links] [--no-fund]
 [--dry-run]
 [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> [-w|--workspace <workspace-name> ...]]
 [--workspaces] [--include-workspace-root] [--install-links]

workspaces/config/lib/definitions/definitions.js

@@ -230,12 +230,13 @@ const definitions = {
   }),
   before: new Definition('before', {
     default: null,
+    hint: '<date>',
     type: [null, Date],
     description: `
       If passed to \`npm install\`, will rebuild the npm tree such that only
-      versions that were available **on or before** the \`--before\` time get
-      installed.  If there's no versions available for the current set of
-      direct dependencies, the command will error.
+      versions that were available **on or before** the given date are
+      installed.  If there are no versions available for the current set of
+      dependencies, the command will error.
 
       If the requested version is a \`dist-tag\` and the given tag does not
       pass the \`--before\` filter, the most recent version less than or equal