Re: [PATCH] drop "Win32" term

[Stefano Lattarini]

On 01/04/2012 02:00 PM, Bruno Haible wrote:
> Hi,
>
Hi Bruno.

> Also, some people (Paul Eggert) see a word of praise in the
> term "Win32".
>
Sorry, but I don't find this notion worth of consideration.

> Microsoft has renamed the Win32 API to "Windows API".[1]
>
This is a much better argument in favour of your proposal.

> After some discussion on bug-gnulib, when talking about hosts/platforms,
> we find it best to talk about "native Windows hosts" instead.
>
And the goal of being more consistent with the terminology employed by
gnulib is what wins your proposal an ACK :-)

> ("Windows hosts" would include Cygwin, "native Windows hosts" doesn't.)
> 
> Here's a proposed patch for automake.
>
Thanks.  I have some minor nits and qualms with the patch, which I hope you can
address in a re-roll.

First (and this is the only serious objection): could you please re-send your
patch formatting with "git format-patch"?  That will make it far more easy to
apply.

> [1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa383723.aspx
> [2] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2012-01/msg00009.html
> [3] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2012-01/msg00027.html
> 
> 
> 2012-01-04  Bruno Haible  <address@hidden>
>
Automake don't have a version controlled ChangeLog anymore.  Just write
the ChangeLog entry in the commit log message.

>       Phase out the use of the term "Win32".
>
We use the format "topic: brief explanation" for the summary line (with no
trailing dot).  In this case:

  cosmetics: prefer the term "native Windows" over "Win32"

Also, we prefer to have an explanation of the reason behind a change in the
commit log, and links to the discussion/resources that have motivated it.

In this case, I'd rewrite the commit log as follows:

-*-*-

  cosmetics: prefer the term "native Windows" over "Win32"

  Microsoft has renamed the Win32 API to "Windows API":
    <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa383723.aspx>

  Also, after some discussion on bug-gnulib, when talking about hosts and
  platforms we believe it's better to talk about "native Windows" instead:
    <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2012-01/msg00009.html>
    <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnulib/2012-01/msg00027.html>

-*-*-

>       * lib/compile: Mention native Windows hosts, not Win32 hosts.
>       * lib/ar-lib: Likewise.
>
I think you have missed a couple of instances:

  - in doc/automake.texi: @samp{$(EXEEXT)} for the sake of Win32 or ...
  - in lib/Automake/XFile.pm: # Some Win32/perl installations fail to ...
  - in tests/compile2.test: skip_ "this test shouldn't run on a win32 ...

Care to fix those too?

The rest of the patch is OK.

Thanks,
  Stefano