Bundle (software distribution)
Encyclopedia
A "bundle" is a software package
Software package
Software package may refer to:* A piece of application software or utility software** A software suite, or collection of related application or utility software* A software library...
that contains a software and everything it needs to operate.
Discussion
On the one hand, the use of software bundles have a clear advantage: they usually include a program and all the libraries it needs to operate statically compiled, so the program can work without any further dependence. It is also used as a method to protect intellectual propertyIntellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
.
On the other hand, it has a drawback on efficiency. It includes a bigger size version of the program needing more memory to run. Regular software installation uses shared libraries that can be used by different programs running in the same computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
, reducing memory usage.