A fix to a program. In the past, a patch used to mean changing actual executable, machine instructions, but today more often than not, it means replacing an executable module in its entirety such as an .EXE or .DLL file. A profusion of patches to an application implies that its logic was poorly designed in the first place. It also implies that the program's internal logic is becoming spaghetti code and more difficult to maintain.
Although the term typically refers to fixing a problem, it may also refer to a general enhancement. The same procedure is often used to add bug fixes to software as it is to add feature enhancements; thus, "applying patches" may refer to both kinds of modifications. See
patch management and
spaghetti code. See also
MIDI patch.
