Manifest file

A manifest file in computing is a file containing metadata for a group of accompanying files that are part of a set or coherent unit. For example, the files of a computer program may have a manifest describing the name, version number and the constituting files of the program.

The term is borrowed from a cargo shipping procedure, where a ship manifest would list the crew and/or cargo of a vessel.

Linux distributions rely heavily on package management systems for distributing software. In this scheme, a package is an archive file containing a manifest file. The primary purpose is to enumerate the files which are included in the distribution, either for processing by various packaging tools, or for human consumption. Manifests may contain additional information; for example, in JAR (a package format for delivering software written in Java programming language), they can specify a version number and an entry point for execution. The manifest may optionally contain a cryptographic hash or checksum of each file. By creating a cryptographic signature for such a manifest file, the entire contents of the distribution package can be validated for authenticity and integrity, as altering any of the files will invalidate the checksums in the manifest file.

In Microsoft Windows, software that rely on Windows Side-by-Side (WinSxS) need an application manifest. It is either an XML file with .manifest filename extension that accompanies executable files or is an integral part of them, in the same XML format. It bears, name, version, trust information, privileges required for execution and dependencies on other components.

An assembly manifest is very similar to an application manifest but describes the identity of components known as "assemblies". These assemblies are referred to in the application manifest.

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