What Is A Deprecated Feature?

Date First Published: 15th March 2024

Topic: Computer Systems

Subtopic: Computer Software

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 4/10

CONTENTS

Examples Of Deprecation
Reasons For Deprecation

Learn more about what a deprecated feature is in this article.

A deprecated feature is a functionality that still exists in software and may still work but is being phased out and replaced, so usage is not recommended. Deprecation helps to solve backward compatibility issues, giving users time to migrate and begin using the newer recommended feature.

Eventually, most deprecated features are completely removed and no longer supported after a few months or years. To give users time to make the necessary changes and avoid any disruptions, features are usually kept around for a reasonable amount of time and only removed when it is clear that they are no longer needed. The developers of software or a programming language announce feature deprecation in their release notes and documentation.

Examples Of Deprecation

Examples of deprecation include:

Computer programming - A deprecated function has been replaced by another function. It may still work, but it may be completely removed in the future. Deprecated features in programming languages may also cause compiler warnings or errors.
Markup languages - For example, several tags became obsolete in HTML5, which means that other ways of displaying the same elements are preferred. However, browsers that support the features may continue to support them in the future.
Software obsolescence - Deprecation can also refer to a program or application that is no longer supported or maintained by its developer. Eventually, all software becomes deprecated as new versions are released and older ones are no longer supported.

Reasons For Deprecation

Software, programming, and markup features may become deprecated for the following reasons:

Redundant features may be deprecated and removed to reduce the complexity of the system.
Outdated features that are inconsistent with the current state of the program or language may be phased out and replaced with versions that align better with modern standards.
Features with design errors, like security vulnerabilities, may be deprecated to discourage use.
Scheduled changes to a program or language may cause an existing feature to break, so it may be marked as deprecated to encourage developers to use an alternative.