Editing Software bloat (section)

==Alternatives==
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Some applications, such as [[GIMP]], and software with additional functionality from [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]], use extensions or add-ons which are downloaded separately from the main application. These can be created by either the software developer or by third-party developers. Plug-ins, extensions, and add-ons add extra functionality which might have otherwise been packaged in the main program.

Allowing these plug-ins, extensions, and/or add-ons reduces the space used on any one machine, because even though the application, the "plug-in interface", and all the plug-ins combined are larger than the same functionality compiled into one monolithic application, it allows each user to install only the particular add-on features they require, rather than forcing every user to install a much larger monolithic application that includes all of the available features. This results in a "stripped-down" or "out-of-the-box" application that is delivered in a compact package yet is ready for users to add any missing functionality.

[[Open source software]] may use a similar technique using [[preprocessor directives]] to include features at compile time selectively. This is easier to implement and more secure than a plugin system, but has the disadvantage that a user who wants a specific set of features must compile the program from source.

Sometimes software becomes bloated because of "[[feature creep|creeping featurism]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070501/adams_01.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503021230/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20070501/adams_01.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 May 2007 |title=The Designer's Notebook: "creeping featurism produces a bloated, complicated mess |first=Ernest |last=Adams |date=1 May 2007}}</ref> ([[Zawinski's law of software envelopment]]). One way to reduce that kind of bloat is described by the [[Unix philosophy]] of "writing programs that do one thing and do it well," and breaking what would be a single, complicated piece of software into numerous simpler components which can be chained together using [[Pipelining (software)|pipes]], [[shell script]]s, or other forms of [[interapplication communication]].