modulesdata

Modulesdata is a concept used in software engineering to describe a structured collection of metadata that characterizes modular components within a software system. It serves as a centralized descriptor store enabling discovery, dependency resolution, versioning, and lifecycle management for modules. In practice, modulesdata entries provide a machine-readable basis for tooling to locate, assemble, and configure software builds and runtimes.

A typical modulesdata entry includes fields such as module identifier, name, version, description, license, author(s), repository or source, entry points or main executables, languages supported, and size. It also records dependencies, including version constraints, optional versus required flags, and transitive relationships. Additional fields may cover compatibility (platforms, architectures), tags or capabilities, provenance (build metadata), and publication status. Some schemas distinguish providers, interfaces, or capabilities offered by a module to support more precise resolution and feature discovery.

Formats and storage for modulesdata are commonly JSON, YAML, or TOML representations stored in registries or databases. The data supports a module graph with directed edges for dependencies and provisions, enabling tooling to perform graph-based resolution, conflict detection, and update planning. Typical users include package managers, build systems, runtime module loaders, and integrated development environments that rely on metadata to locate, verify, and assemble modules efficiently.

Benefits and challenges: modulesdata improves reproducibility, discoverability, and governance by providing a single source of truth about modules. Challenges include keeping metadata current, handling complex version constraints, avoiding circular dependencies, and ensuring schema interoperability across ecosystems. See also module metadata, package manager, manifest file.