[plt-scheme] feature request for PLaneT

You want automatic upgrades to happen at any time? 

Yes, but only for the downwards compatible modules that don't break
the API and if a developer chooses to do so.

That seems a little risky to me! 

A risk a lot of companies provide you with with automatic upgrades.

1. The program doing the requiring has been around and is already 
linked to version 1.4. In this case PLaneT does not (and I think 
should not) try to get a new version automatically ---- you have to ask.


A new version of a module that is downwards compatible will either 
provide extra functionality,
or provide bug fixes. It cannot by rule break the API syntax or semantics.

2. The program doing the requiring is not already linked to a 
particular version, and there's no package already on the user's 
system that would satisfy the request. In this case PLaneT goes to the 
network.

The obvious case :-)

  * It increases the chance that the same package will get loaded 
twice with two different versions. This is a dangerous situation to be 
in, and currently PLaneT automatically prevents packages from being 
loaded twice with two separate versions unless the packages 
specifically announce that this is okay.

That's not what I want. I want the latest package release to be 
downloaded when it is
present of a certain API release, unless explicitly specified otherwise. 
One could e.g.
use

(require (planet "package.scm" ("author" "package.plt" 1)))

That would always check for the latest release on start of a program (if 
it can, i.e. without delay);
and download the latest package, if available.

* It makes PLaneT connect to the network more often and download 
more packages. (The design tries to minimize this, though experience 
suggests that maybe nobody really cares.)

It should not get in the way, i.e. block the startup of a program or 
increase the delay considerably.

I'm not clear from your message what you're objecting to.

I don't mean to be objecting. Sorry if I seem to be. I'm just proposing 
a new feature that
will help in having an automatic distribution system.

Hope this helps?

--Hans



Robby Findler schreef:
> You want automatic upgrades to happen at any time? That seems a little
> risky to me! Or something else? I'm not clear from your message what
> you're objecting to. Can you provide a little more information, perhaps
> building on what Jacob writes?
>
> Robby
>
> At Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:31:11 +0200, Hans Oesterholt-Dijkema wrote:
>   
>> I think one should be able to choose. Currently, afaik, requiring a module
>> is not bound to a specific program. I personally generally want the latest
>> PLaneT package that is guaranteed to be downwards compatible, unless I
>> really want to freeze my program (i.e. I'm distributing it to customers?).
>>
>> --Hans
>>
>> Jacob Matthews schreef:
>>     
>>> Hans Oesterholt-Dijkema wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> If I release major=1 and minor=5, I would be very glad, if
>>>> dependent modules would download the newer 1 5 version
>>>> automatically. 
>>>>         
>>> Currently PLaneT distinguishes between three cases:
>>>
>>> 1. The program doing the requiring has been around and is already 
>>> linked to version 1.4. In this case PLaneT does not (and I think 
>>> should not) try to get a new version automatically ---- you have to ask.
>>>
>>> 2. The program doing the requiring is not already linked to a 
>>> particular version, and there's no package already on the user's 
>>> system that would satisfy the request. In this case PLaneT goes to the 
>>> network.
>>>
>>> 3. The program doing the requiring is not already linked to a 
>>> particular version, but there is a package installed on the user's 
>>> system that would satisfy the request. In this case, PLaneT currently 
>>> uses the installed package --- I think you're suggesting that it 
>>> shouldn't do that, preferring instead to check the network. I've 
>>> thought about changing this behavior too, and I might do it. But there 
>>> are two things to consider:
>>>
>>>   * It increases the chance that the same package will get loaded 
>>> twice with two different versions. This is a dangerous situation to be 
>>> in, and currently PLaneT automatically prevents packages from being 
>>> loaded twice with two separate versions unless the packages 
>>> specifically announce that this is okay.
>>>
>>>   * It makes PLaneT connect to the network more often and download 
>>> more packages. (The design tries to minimize this, though experience 
>>> suggests that maybe nobody really cares.)
>>>
>>> -jacob
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> _________________________________________________
>>   For list-related administrative tasks:
>>   http://list.cs.brown.edu/mailman/listinfo/plt-scheme
>>     
>
>
>   

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