Khemir Nadim on Mon, 16 Feb 2004 13:23:14 +0100 writes: > "Simon Cozens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> It is, however, polite for the module author to inform the user that >> there's been a change. > I too the question as being about what happends when the module interface > changes not how to handle the interface with the users. Being nice is good > though. Now to contradict you a bit, how do you let the user know that your > module has changed? by mailling on this or another list? I seriously doubt > more than the users you are directly in contact or those diretly interrested > in your module with will pay attention, more bellow.
Exactly. I want to be able to write a perl program and distribute it to others without it randomly breaking (or deleting your harddisk) the next day due to change in a module. The current situation sounds like "Windows DLL Hell" > >> This is why I tend to do something like this in Makefile.PL: >> >> print "WARNING: This new major release is incompatible with > previous\n"; >> print "releases. Please check any code which uses this module.\n"; >> print "Press enter to continue.\n"; >> <>; > Effective (and nice) but does it help? I have now to find what has changed > are and which one of the modules that use your module might break. Since no > one has time for this and Perl generates run time errors, I'll just have to > wait for the "Boom". When I get the message above, I'll hit the return key > faster than light( I'm warned at least). Again, it's good but is it realy > what we need. I agree with Khedim. The sad thing is that working code exist on CPAN. It could be avoided with a versioning system (I am not saying this is simple, it affects ALL modules). > IMO, we need to be able to have more than one version of a module installed. > This is the only practical way. Yes. As a workaround I will distribute the necessary modules along with the standalone programs I write, so I know it will work. There is no reason to give my Python-loving colleagues a reason to gloat. > > http://dev.perl.org/perl6/rfc/78.html > > I found the article: > > http://www.perl.com/pub/a/2003/03/18/only.html > > We should make Brians module mandatory! Sounds interesting. I would probably prefer a major/minor version numbering scheme. -- Vagn Johansen
