SQL::Statement unusable in major Linux distributions

[Paul Beardsell]

Please see sql-statement bug 50788 which
shows several versions of  SQL::Statement to be
unusable.  E.g. version 1.15.  It is this version
of SQL::Statement which exists in many GNU/Linux
distributions including Debian oldstable, stable and
testing (and derivatives); Hardy, Intrepid, Jaunty
and Karmic (i.e. all recent and current and the
forthcoming releases of) Ubuntu (and derivatives);
the more recent releases of Redhat (and derivatives)
and Suse (and derivatives).

The later versions of SQL::Statement are not available
for ready installation into any of these Linux
environments by ordinarily competent Linux users.
Even for the distro maintainers these latest releases
are very disruptive (ripple on effects etc) to install
owing to numerous dependencies on very new code.

Similarly older versions of SQL::Statement known not
to suffer from bug 50788 are also not available for
anything but very difficult if not nearly impossible
installation into any recent release of these Linux
distro.  E.g. 0.1020 does not suffer from this bug
and 0.1020 was std in Debian Woody but Woody is no
longer readily downloadable.

Consequently, to all intents and purposes
SQL::Statement is *dead* in the Linux (distro)
world as it can not have any serious use in its
currently (readily) available incarnations owing to
the existence of at least one critical bug in S:S.

Why?  Why is there no usable version of SQL::Statement
out there for (less-than-uber-techie) (common) Linux
(distro) users?

For a package to be used it must be reliable and
available.  If(!) there are reliable versions they
are not (easily) available.  What a pity!  SQL::Statement
was a great package uniquely allowing SQL to be
used on CSV files.  Was.  Now it is broken.

The world needs, we need, *I* need SQL
on CSV files.

I very strongly suggest that one of three things
be done.

(1) If there exists a stable and usable version of
SQL::Statement after the known-to-be-broken 1.15 then
this must be pushed at the Linux distro maintainers.
There must be reasons why *no* popular Linux distro
has accepted any version after 1.15.  I know not what all
these may be but I suggest but I suggest the
very recent version 1.22 is very difficult to install
into a working environment or into current Linux
distros because of numerous dependencies on some very
new code.  Because 1.22 is difficult to install it
has practically zero users and I suggest therefore we
do not actually know for sure it is a good version!
A backport of a recent S:S version such as 1.22 to
an earlier Perl environment is needed so that it can
be installed without having to upgrade much of one's
whole Perl environment.  Then we can get it into the
distros, and get some users.

*or*

(2) Forward-port a known to be good version of
SQL::Statement such as one of the pre 1.0 versions.
I can vouch for 0.1020-2 as found in Debian Woody.

*or*

(3) Fix 1.15.

OK, so now shoot the messenger.  :-)

Paul Beardsell
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