footprint
= F =
for the rest of us
for free adj.
[common] Said of a capability of a
programming language or hardware that is available by its design
without needing cleverness to implement: "In APL, we get the
matrix operations for free." "And owing to the way revisions are
stored in this system, you get revision trees for free." The term
usually refers to a serendipitous feature of doing things a certain
way (compare big win), but it may refer to an intentional but
secondary feature.
--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.