Lean packaging minimizes deployable artifacts by removing unused dependencies, dead code, obsolete feature paths, and development-only contents. Smaller packages transfer faster, require less storage, and reduce maintenance and dependency-management effort. section 8.4.2 section 8.6
Apply the pattern through deliberate cleanup and build optimization:
- Delete code paths for features that are permanently enabled or disabled. section 8.4.2
- Exclude development tools, test data, mock files, and internal documentation from production builds. section 8.4.2
- Remove unused direct and transitive dependencies, then compress or minify static resources. section 8.4.2
- Prefer the smallest safe improvement: savings that make code harder to understand may not justify their cost. section 8.5.2
From development bundle to lean artifact
A production package containing test data, mock files, internal documentation, unused libraries, and obsolete feature branches can be reduced by excluding development-only contents, pruning dependencies, deleting dead paths, and compressing static resources. Maven dependency tools, jdeps, or Visual Studio can support the cleanup. section 8.4.2
The pattern targets visible waste rather than optimization for its own sake. It lowers transfer and storage costs while also reducing cognitive complexity, upgrade work, and transitive dependencies. section 8.4.2 section 8.5.2
