[plt-scheme] package management thoughts

On Mon, 10 Mar 2003, MJ Ray wrote:

> I assume we're not talking about the (require ...) that loads modules?
> If so, I think that downloading shouldn't happen automatically when trying
> to *run* a program, only when feeding it to some sort of
> (install-deps "program.ss") or similar.

We are talking about the real require. The reason is that the backend that
handles (require (cspan ...)) will know only to go out to the network when
necessary and we'll get all the benefits of explicitly getting modules
along with the ease of automatic and implicit retrieval, recursive
dependence-retrieval, and a working dynamic-require with a seamless
interface for free. The only problem I see is exactly what you point out:

> I'd hate to try talking to a disconnected/hanging network server because
> I typo'd a module name...

and I expect this to be less of a big deal than the things in my list,
though I don't really have any strong basis for that guess.

-jacob