CRAN's Reverse Dependency Checks: A Unique Approach to Software Maintenance

A seasoned software engineer initially baffled by R's package manager, CRAN, and its reverse dependency checks, shares their experience. Unlike npm or PyPI, CRAN checks all packages depending on a submitted package before publication. The author recounts how CRAN's approach impacts software maintenance, highlighting its contribution to the stability of the R ecosystem. This experience ultimately shifted the author's perspective on software maintenance, leading to an understanding of the 'monorepo mindset'—developers taking responsibility for all projects relying on their code.