What is optional dependency

plug-in prerequisite elements can be made optional by adding the optional="true" attribute in Manifest file(see below for an example). Marking an import as optional simply states that if the specified plug-in is not found at runtime, the dependent plug-in should be left enabled. This is used when a plug-in can be used in many scenarios or it is reasonable to operate with reduced function. It allows the creation of minimal installs that cover functional subsets. Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.swt; optional="true"