[Koha-devel] [Koha-patches] [PATCH] [Bug 5465] Makefile.PL asks for too high version of Business::ISBN

[Chris Nighswonger]

On Thu, Dec 2, 2010 at 11:48 AM, Clay Fouts <cfouts at liblime.com> wrote:

> Typically they're called "requirements" because they establish a minimum.
> If a particular version is known to work and passes the tests, why require a
> system to have a higher version installed?


This most likely occurs because the developer adding the module develops
over the latest module from CPAN rather than from xyz repository which may
be behind CPAN. I think it would be poor practice to expect developers to
hunt for the oldest package which contained the desired functionality. It
would be better to adopt a sensible standard and adhere to it, which is what
I was proposing we do.


> Why instruct users to install from apt at all if they're just going to have
> to update all the modules from CPAN anyway?
>

Users are only instructed to install from apt on platforms which support
apt. Others should use their distro's package management system or CPAN...
which is what gives rise to the "problem" under discussion.


> Why warn them they *need* to upgrade if in reality they don't?


"Needing" to upgrade is relative. In this case relative to the version
required by the developer incorporating the module and thus Koha. If the
user's system has a version older than that required by the developer, there
is certainly the "need" to upgrade.


> Issuing a warning during the build process should indicate something
> potentially dire, not making noise about a preference.
>

Given that it is the developer who writes the code involving a selected
module, I think that this is not a mere "preference" of the developer. The
one developing knows better than anyone else which version is "needed."
Using a module version other than that spec'd by the developer is, indeed,
setting up for something potentially dire.

There are two points involved here:

1. We need to establish acceptable guidelines for developers to follow when
choosing packages.

2. We then need to communicate the clear message to the user that they need
*at least* the version chosen by the developer.

Then the warnings thrown will be unambiguous. (And I'm assuming here that
"we" feel they are ambiguous as they stand at present.)

Kind Regards,
Chris
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