[librecat-dev] please declare as relaxed dependencies as possible

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Hi Patrick,

Quoting Patrick Hochstenbach (2015-05-22 09:37:05)
> I think the RDF::LDF was never packaged yet for Debian and is added 
> recently to Catmandu-RDF as a new dependency.
> Clone 0.38 was introduced from the very start to RDF::LDF.

Thanks for looking into this.  Above is all true, but...


> Anyways, I’ve released RDF-LDF 0.11 which downgrades all Perl 
> dependencies to the package list I found for Debian wheezy where 
> required and to any version else.

...you seem to miss my point:

What I request is not that Perl dependencies fit certain environment 
(e.g. some release of Debian), but that they reflect actual requirements 
of your code.

Dont't take my words for it, but read this (which you pointed at 
yourself in our irc discussion earlier today): 
https://metacpan.org/pod/CPAN::Meta::Spec#Relationships

If you don't really know which versions of Clone work and which does 
not, only that it works with the version you happen to use yourself, 
then require Clone unversioned (i.e. version 0) and suggest Clone 0.25.

If you know that Clone earlier than 0.25 works but e.g. slower or not in 
some corner cases (preferrably documented to require that version), then 
require Clone unversioned and recommend Clone 0.25.

Only if you know that Clone earlier than 0.24 will not work at all with 
your code should you require Clone 0.25.

...that's how I read CPAN::Meta::Spec#Relationships.

Key to my reading is to declare what you know, and leave out what is 
uncertain (but obviously try hard to minimize uncertainties).

From our chat today it seems you want to express what is safe - i.e. if 
uncertain then declare what you have tested against as minimal version.  
That approach will get you fewer bugreports, but that's not because you 
have more happy users - it is because you have fewer users at all.

Your approach is similar to too aggressive filters: You cannot hear the 
frustrations of those you completely cut out from the conversation.


Hope that helps.

 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

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