Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:34:13 -0600 From: "Jeremy Messenger" <mezz7@cox.net> To: "Alexander Leidinger" <Alexander@leidinger.net> Cc: ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Why does everybody switch to dynamic plists? Message-ID: <opskyzfbjl9aq2h7@mezz.mezzweb.com> In-Reply-To: <20050121205202.4092fc5a@Magellan.Leidinger.net> References: <20050121205202.4092fc5a@Magellan.Leidinger.net>
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On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:52:02 +0100, Alexander Leidinger <Alexander@Leidinger.net> wrote: > Hi, > > can someone please tell me why people enjoy to use dynamic plists, even > when there was a static plist already? > > With a dynamic plist: > - We lose the ability to search for files which aren't installed. > (useful for users) > - We lose the ability to determine if a particular port contains what > we search. > (useful for users) > - We lose the ability to check just with grep if two ports install > conflicting files (in case we get a report of a conflict it's very > nice to not need to install a port to verify the conflict). > (useful for users and port developers) > - We lose the ability to use portlint to check the plist (if the > maintainer checks the generated one he just can use a static plist). > BTW.: Does portlint know how to check the embedded plist (the > Makefile variables)? > (useful for port developers) > - We lose the ability to maybe answer support requests without the need > to install the software. > (useful for "the frontliners") This is mofo annoy to me. I depend on plist pretty a lot to search what file they have and etc, so I can know for conflict, depend on this port and etc. google doesn't cut to me. > + We don't need to take care if the plist changes. > (useful for port developers) + smaller or no plist is good for modem connection user. > I count 1 positive and 5 negative aspects. > > If the developer of a port puts the dynamic plist generation into a > Makefile target instead of inlining it into the build/install process, > he doesn't needs to put alot more effort into the development process > (just one "make <generate-the-plist-target>") and gets the benefits of > static plists too. > > Maybe I've overlooked something, but so far I haven't seen a dynamic > plist which needs to be a dynamic one. So I think at least 99% of our > dynamic plists don't need to be dynamic. I, one, who is on your side. Two people wasn't happy with me when I refused to switch from static to dynamic in games/wesnoth. games/wesnoth is getting near 3k lines. ;-) > Bye, > Alexander. -- mezz7@cox.net - mezz@FreeBSD.org FreeBSD GNOME Team http://www.FreeBSD.org/gnome/ - gnome@FreeBSD.org
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