What is a Software Patch?
A patch, or diff, is a record of changes made to a resource. Typically a patch will add a new feature, fix a bug, or add documentation to the project. Patches are the preferred way to submit contributions to open development projects such as open source software. Various tools are available to help with patches. These tools make it very easy to create and manage patches for project outputs such as source code and documentation. Patches and patch management tools are the key to building an active community of contributors to an open development project. This document provides a simple overview of a software patch. It does not deal with the mechanics of creating and processing patches, this is better handled by the documentation of the patch management tool choosen.
As people begin to use a software program with frequency, they may note glitches or problems that were not observed during beta testing of the program. Alternately, older software can have compatibility issues with newer systems, or newer software may be incompatible with older systems. In these cases, and often to increase sales or use of software, programmers may create what is called a software patch, designed to fix small bugs, glitches, or address software-to-hardware or operating system compatibility issues. If you notice consistent problems with a program, it’s easy to research on the Internet whether there is a software patch that might fix the program. In most cases these patches are free, and the majority of them are now simply downloaded from the Internet. A fair percentage of these patches help to address problems, but a poorly composed software patch may actually create new problems. A software patch has several alternate names. When significant aspects of the software are
A patch, or diff, is a record of changes made to a resource. Typically a patch will add a new feature, fix a bug, or add documentation to the project. Patches are the preferred way to submit contributions to open development projects such as open source software. Various tools are available to help with patches. These tools make it very easy to create and manage patches for project outputs such as source code and documentation. Patches and patch management tools are part of building an active community of contributors to the open development project WebPA. This document provides a simple overview of a software patch. It does not deal with the mechanics of creating and processing patches, this is better handled by the documentation of the patch management tool choosen.
A software patch is a revision to an original release that is intended to fix bugs, or flaws, as well as improve usability and performance. While software developers work hard to adequately test and rework their software before it is released, as with anything, it is very difficult to put out a perfect product. Especially in the case of large and complex software packages like Microsoft’s Windows and its components, Internet Explorer and Office, many problems are not realized until the product is put to the real test by being publicly released. Because consumers are such a massive and diverse group, it is almost impossible to predict all of the potential issues before a product is released.
