Movement 0deps: Local Dependencies and Immutable Contracts

Software developers often install hundreds of external libraries in every project. Modern frameworks rely on thousands of transitive dependencies. This means your application runs code from hundreds of unknown contributors.

This setup speeds up development. It also creates massive security risks in your software supply chain.

The 0deps movement asks a simple question: What if your application only ran code you actually control?

Every dependency increases your attack surface. Dependencies can:

  • Introduce security flaws.
  • Face supply chain attacks.
  • Become abandoned.
  • Change their public API.
  • Break backward compatibility.

In the 0deps model, you include all necessary dependencies directly in your project repository. You do not download them dynamically during installation. Everything needed to build and run the app is present from the first clone.

This approach provides:

  • Reproducible builds.
  • Less reliance on external package registries.
  • Centralized security audits.
  • Higher predictability.
  • A smaller supply chain attack surface.

0deps does not mean you stop updating code. Algorithms and security fixes must evolve. Instead, you keep the public contract stable.

Each library exposes a carefully designed interface. For example:

  • authenticate()
  • createSession()
  • verifyPasskey()

These functions define a contract. This contract stays the same. You can rewrite the underlying code or replace internal libraries without affecting the rest of your application.

When a vulnerability appears, you update the implementation behind the interface. The public API remains identical. Your application continues to work without code changes.

The structure looks like this: Application ↓ Public Interface ↓ Internal Adapter ↓ Implementation

If an external library disappears, you only change the adapter. No other part of your application breaks. This isolation protects you from malicious packages, registry compromises, and dependency confusion.

Projects live for decades. Libraries and frameworks do not. 0deps allows your application to use the same stable contracts for years while the ecosystem changes around it.

You gain predictable, resilient, and maintainable software.

Source: https://dev.to/fullagenticstack/mouvement-0deps-dependances-locales-contrats-immuables-et-securite-par-conception-24c2

Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi