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Why do so many programming languages have their own package manager? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 3 weeks ago by DeltaWingDragon@sh.itjust.works to c/programming@programming.dev
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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/64685863

Lots of programming languages have their own package manager, separate from the distribution or OS package manager.

Going loosely from the TIOBE index:

  • Python has Pip
  • C# has NuGet
  • Javascript has npm for Node.js
  • Visual Basic also uses NuGet
  • R has a repository of packages that can be installed by running install.packages("something") in R
  • Rust has Cargo/Crates
  • Go has the go get command
  • Swift has its own package manager swift package
  • Ruby has RubyGems
  • Java has Maven and Gradle (not sure if they are full package managers, or build automation tools with dependency resolution)
  • PHP has Composer for managing libraries and dependencies
  • C and C++ are the only exceptions I can think of, off the top of my head; libraries are managed by, and coupled to, the operating system
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[-] bluGill@fedia.io 7 points 3 weeks ago

For the simple cases, a language package manager is easier to write and makes things easy. However, simple cases aren't at everything and for the more complex cases, such as what C and C++ is commonly used for, a language package manager is not complex enough to handle all the little weird special cases and so it would be a bad idea.

Those who use a language for something complex will not use the built-in package manager. Realistically though, very few people are writing complex software and so this objection, although real, is probably a pedantic thing that doesn't affect you.

this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2026
103 points (98.1% liked)

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