downstream (software development)

{{Short description|Concept in computer science}}

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In software development, downstream refers to a direction away from the original authors or maintainers of software that is distributed as source code, and is a qualification of a patch. For example, a patch sent downstream is offered to the developers or maintainers of a forked software project. If accepted, the developers or maintainers will include the patch in their software fork, either immediately or in a future release. Sometimes, "downstream" is used in contexts in which the developer does not have control, perhaps due to its inclusion as part other software or as part of a system.{{Cite journal |last=Wolf |first=Marty |last2=Miller |first2=Keith |last3=Grodzinsky |first3=Frances |date=2019-05-28 |title=On the Responsibility for Uses of Downstream Software |url=https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cepe_proceedings/vol2019/iss1/3/ |journal=Computer Ethics - Philosophical Enquiry (CEPE) Proceedings |volume=2019 |issue=1 |doi=10.25884/7576-wd27 |issn=2689-2782}}

For contrast, upstream refers to code sent toward the original development team.