Package dependencies representation

A method implemented at an end-device, the method comprising:

• obtaining a data structure, the data structure representing package dependencies in a computer program, the data structure forming a directed acyclic graph representing a package dependency tree, the data structure comprising:
• a set of package instance nodes that comprises at least a package instance node and a second package instance node, wherein the package instance node represents an instance of a code package, wherein the second package instance node represents a respective second instance of the code package, the instance of the code package being different from the second instance, wherein a package node represents the code package, wherein the package instance node comprises a unique identifier of the package instance node in the set of package instance nodes, wherein the package instance node comprises an instance metadata that comprises a reference to the code package;
• and
• a set of edges connecting at least a portion of the set of package instance nodes, wherein an edge of the set of edges connects the package node to the package instance node, the edge representing an occurrence of the instance of the code package,
• wherein the data structure provides an implicit representation of the package dependency tree that is smaller, in size, than an explicit representation of the package dependency tree;
• loading the data structure to a memory region of a process that is executed by the end-device, wherein the explicit representation of the package dependency tree exceeds a threshold of a number of data structures that can be retained within the memory region of the process;
• and
• processing, by the process, the data structure.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a data structure, the data structure representing package dependencies in a computer program, the data structure forming a directed acyclic graph representing a package dependency tree, the data structure comprising:

• a set of package instance nodes that comprises at least a package instance node and a second package instance node, wherein the package instance node represents an instance of a code package, wherein the second package instance node represents a respective second instance of the code package, the instance of the code package being different from the second instance, wherein a package node represents the code package, wherein the package instance node comprises a unique identifier of the package instance node in the set of package instance nodes, wherein the package instance node comprises an instance metadata that comprises a reference to the code package, wherein the package instance node has one or more child nodes, wherein the instance of the code package depends on one or more package instances that are represented by the one or more child nodes, wherein the identifier of the package instance node is computed based on identifiers of the one or more child nodes, wherein the identifier of the package instance node is determined based on a subtree identifier, wherein the subtree identifier is computed using a hash function and based on a predetermined order between the one or more child nodes, whereby the subtree identifier is consistent and useful for deduplication;
• and
• a set of edges connecting at least a portion of the set of package instance nodes, wherein an edge of the set of edges connects the package node to the package instance node, the edge representing an occurrence of the instance of the code package.