modulessoftdep

Modulessoftdep is a framework and runtime mechanism for managing soft dependencies in modular software projects. It provides a standardized approach to declare, discover, and load optional components that are not required for core functionality but extend the system when present.

Its central concept is the soft dependency: a component that may or may not be installed or available at runtime. Modulessoftdep models dependencies as a directed graph, with edges representing optional or conditional relationships, version constraints, and compatibility rules. At startup or on demand, the framework analyzes the graph, resolves which soft deps can be loaded, and defers loading to when the component is actually needed, or when availability is confirmed.

Key features include declarative manifests for soft dependencies, resilience through graceful fallbacks, transitive soft dependencies, and lazy loading. The system can auto-detect compatible implementations, negotiate versions, and cache resolved states to speed repeated runs. It also offers adapters for multiple host environments and language ecosystems to integrate with existing package managers and module loaders.

Typical usage involves declaring core and optional components in a manifest file (for example modulessoftdep.yaml) and letting the runtime attempt to activate available soft deps during initialization or on-demand. If a soft dep is present, a loader function imports or initializes it; if absent, the application continues with built-in behavior or a configured fallback.

Modulessoftdep is designed for plugin architectures, feature-rich applications, and systems with optional integrations such as analytics, database backends, or platform-specific adapters. While it can improve modularity and resource usage, teams must carefully model dependencies to avoid runtime errors from incompatible or partially installed components.