new release of LIP prototype API

[Isaac Jones]

"Simon Marlow" <simonmar at microsoft.com> writes:

> What's the purpose of the build_deps field in a PackageConfig?  This
> seems to indicate that the PackageConfig has a lot more functionality
> than I thought - to me, the PackageConfig contains the information that
> a compiler needs to know in order to use a package at compile time
> (similarly for an interpreter).  But the presence of build_deps seems to
> indicate that it's much more than this: is it supposed to contain enough
> information to be able to rebuild the package?  Is the system supposed
> to be able to rebuild packages on demand?  Can it downlaod and build
> dependencies if they aren't available?

OK... I admit that this was my original goal, and I think that's what
it says in the proposal.

Since then, you've mostly convinced me that PackageConfig should only
be for compile-time use of a package.

I still want to put something in place, probably in a different
database, and later on, for rebuilding. I understand your objection
that this is something that should be performed by a packaging system.
Unfortunately, many platforms don't have a packaging system, and not
all packages are available on every system.  Those are the basic
reasons that I think it is still worthwhile.

> If the answers to any these questions are yes, then I have the feeling
> that a large can of worms has been opened.

Maybe opened, but just a little bit so I could peak inside ;)


peace,

isaac