[racket] Anyone using Dorodango? Any other movement towards an R6RS package system?

On 07/01/2010 10:20 PM, Noel Welsh wrote:
> The .plt format is designed to allow easy emailing for
> those that don't have a better Internet connection.

Well, I go and run mutt, and it lets me attach binary files,
transparantly base64 encoding and decoding them as I attach and save
attachments, regardless of my Internet connection. But I do understand
some people may have to use telnet email clients... in which case they
could still base64 encode it /and/ sign it with gpg --sign --armor! :D

Yeah, anyway it sounds like I care more than I do. I just wish the
http:// planet URL .plt files were binary, since unlike email there's no
reason for an HTTP file to be base64 encoded. It seems to do a
disservice to all that work people put into figuring out binary chunking
and all that. But I doubt raco could understand a .plt file that was
un-base64-encoded to just be a .tar.gz.

> I don't know how
> much of an issue this still is, but it certainly had its uses when the
> format was created.

I guess I'd just say have a base64 encoding program if you want
something you can type manually from one computer to another. It's bad
coupling to have it inherent in the .plt file format. In my opinion
base64 is more suitable for embedding than storage. Even then, a link to
a file is often way more efficient than embedding the data encoded in
base64.