To Commit or Not to Commit the `vendor` Directory in Go Projects Using `dep`?

Vendor Directory Management with Dep in Go Projects

In Go development, managing dependencies through the dep tool can raise questions about best practices for handling the vendor directory. One such question is whether it is advisable to commit the vendor directory into version control.

The official dep documentation provides guidance on this matter. The FAQ section addresses the question of committing the vendor directory directly. According to dep, the decision depends on individual preferences and priorities.

Advantages of Committing the vendor Directory:

• Reproducible Builds: Committing the vendor directory ensures reproducible builds by shielding against upstream changes, such as renames, deletions, or history overwrites.
• Reduced Dependency Management: After committing the vendor directory, there is no need for additional dep ensure steps to synchronize it with Gopkg.lock following common operations like go get or repository cloning.

Disadvantages of Committing the vendor Directory:

• Larger Repository Size: The vendor directory can significantly increase the size of the repository. However, using the prune command can help mitigate this issue.
• PR Diff Changes: Changes to the Gopkg.lock file can lead to PR diffs that include modifications to files within the vendor directory. Notably, GitHub hides these files by default.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to commit the vendor directory depends on the specific project requirements and preferences. If reproducible builds and streamlined dependency management are more important than repository size and PR diff clarity, committing the vendor directory may be the preferred approach.

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