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Re: argz whitespace
From: |
Bob Friesenhahn |
Subject: |
Re: argz whitespace |
Date: |
Tue, 20 May 2008 11:49:51 -0500 (CDT) |
On Tue, 20 May 2008, Bob Friesenhahn wrote:
There is a palpable cost to renaming libltdl/argz_.h and the cost should be
carefully considered before renaming files. Have you considered the cost?
What is the value behind this change and is the value obtained greater than
the cumulative cost?
It comes to mind that perhaps the reason for the cost is not clear.
This apparently minor change causes these issues:
* Template libltdl source code footprint changes. This means that on
a system where installed files are not precisely controlled by a
package manager (so the prior version is completely uninstalled),
after an upgrade, we are left with stale residue which remains for the
rest of time.
* Every package using libltdl incorporates a copy of it. These copies
are maintained in version control systems. The maintainer of the
package needs to notice the change (unlikely since it is unexpected)
so that the new name can be added, and the old name removed.
Eventually the problem will be noticed, but only after it has caused
some harm. Currently packages using libltdl offer to install the
packaged version so there is opportunity for even more churn.
Now that libtool 2.2 is out the door we need to be conservative about
file additions, removals, and renames in libltdl.
Bob
======================================
Bob Friesenhahn
address@hidden, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer, http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/