Updating External Project Dependencies

Overview on updating project and external dependencies

It is important that projects are kept up to date with the latest versions for several reasons, some of which are:

• Security: Outdated software is more vulnerable to security vulnerabilities. Maintaining up-to-date dependencies, libraries, and frameworks ensures you have the latest security patches and fixes, reducing the risk of security breaches and data leaks.

• Bug Fixes: New versions often come with bug fixes and improvements. Staying up to date helps you avoid known issues and ensures that your software operates as smoothly as possible.

• Performance: Updates can bring performance enhancements and optimizations. Running on the latest versions can make your software faster and more efficient.

• Maintainability: Projects with up-to-date components are generally easier to maintain. Outdated software may require significant effort to bring up to date when critical issues or security vulnerabilities are discovered.

In an ideal world, all projects would always be kept up to date with the latest versions of all external dependencies. However this is not always possible due to conflicts with other priorities. Outlined in subsequent pages is rough guide on how and when to update versions of various project and external dependencies.