this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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Programming

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"Software Repositories" are Libraries, and "Libraries" are Books (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 1 day ago by gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de to c/programming@programming.dev
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Today's software tools have weird names. We call a "library" some collection of functions that you can use in your program.

I think that software repositories (where apt downloads your programs from) should be the actual libraries, since that's where you go to get your information; Meanwhile individual packages of information should be called books because they are one solid object containing a bundle of information.

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[–] CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

The metapor is that the individual package is a library of exported functions (the books). Package managers are more like inter-library loans in this metaphor, but I think that is pushing the analogy further than is useful.