Lockfilebased
Lockfilebased, or lockfile-based dependency management, is an approach in which a lockfile records the exact versions of all dependencies installed for a project. The project’s manifest specifies version constraints or ranges, while the lockfile fixes the resolved versions, source locations, and integrity metadata. During installation, the package manager uses the lockfile to reproduce the same dependency graph, ensuring builds are deterministic across machines and over time.
Typical ecosystems use distinct lockfile files, such as package-lock.json or yarn.lock for JavaScript, Pipfile.lock or poetry.lock
Benefits of lockfile-based management include reproducible builds, improved install performance through caching, and strengthened security via
Limitations and considerations include potential drift if the lockfile isn’t updated, merge conflicts when multiple branches
Lockfile-based strategies are widely adopted in modern software development to ensure deterministic, verifiable, and auditable dependency