Instructeddepends

Instructeddepends is a term used in software engineering to describe a dependency management approach that is discussed in theoretical and experimental tooling contexts, where dependencies are specified by explicit instructions to the package resolver, rather than being determined through automatic transitive analysis or inference.

In this model, a project provides a manifest that names each dependency, assigns a specific version, defines its source or repository, and may declare constraints or provenance requirements. The resolver then constructs the dependency graph strictly from these instructions, bypassing or limiting transitive discovery.

This approach aims to improve reproducibility, predictability, and governance by providing a single source of truth for what a build uses. It can simplify auditing, security scanning, and offline builds since the resolved graph is determined by explicit entries. It can reduce variability across environments but may require more manual maintenance.

In practical terms, instructeddepends is most useful in projects that demand strict determinism, robust auditing, or compliance with security policies. It complements locked or pinned dependency strategies by providing an explicit governance layer and a clear rollback path.

Related concepts include explicit dependency management, build manifests, and deterministic builds.