qwtplot3d-interest

Release plans

[Gudjon I. G. <gu...@mc...>]

Hi

I was thinking about if the Qwtplot3d team had some kind of release plan.
Currently there is an svn version in Debian 0.2.7+svn191 but I saw some
activity in trunk, is there any 0.2.8 version upcoming? PyQwt3d, Labplot,
Scidavis and perhaps some more programs depend on 0.2.7.

I need to make a new version that supports Qtiplot but doesn't brake the
other programs. I guess that the code in trunk will be more or less
compatible with the current version. However I am thinking about making a
new package for the multiple_curves branch which is (will be) compatible
with Qtiplot and only support qt4, since I guess you won't support qt3 for
that branch.

Could you please put some informal plan on the qwtplot3d homepage on what
the future versions of qwtplot3d will be named and look like, it will make
my life as a packager much easier :) It takes more than a month to get a
new package (the multiple_curves branch) through the leagal team into
Debian but an upgrade takes no time. It is therefore important that I name
it correctly from the beginning.

Thanks
Gudjon

Re: Release plans

[Micha B. <kri...@us...>]

Hi, Gudjon

> I was thinking about if the Qwtplot3d team had some kind of release plan.
> Currently there is an svn version in Debian 0.2.7+svn191 but I saw some
> activity in trunk, is there any 0.2.8 version upcoming?

The number will be 0.3.0, main reason is the switch to pure Qt4. If I
understand it correctly, this formal issue (simple from a authors point)
is a much more important part for package scheduling.

> PyQwt3d, Labplot,
> Scidavis and perhaps some more programs depend on 0.2.7.

I'm not quite convinced from what I've seen from the current interface
(not the functionality per se!) for multiple curves. I'll discuss this
at least with John and Ion, so we can find solutions for a subset of the
mentioned applications and the interface himself. I'm just in the
process of preparing a proposal.

I'm afraid, for others compatibility issues will occur (in any case, the
interface *will* change) and they have to stay with 0.2.7 if untouched.
(the things said still don't mean a complete overhaul). Regarding
PyQwt3d, I'll try to contact Gerard.

Is this something, you could live with for the moment, Gudjon?

Micha  
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Re: Release plans

[Gudjon I. G. <gu...@mc...>]

Hi Micha

> The number will be 0.3.0, main reason is the switch to pure Qt4. If I
> understand it correctly, this formal issue (simple from a authors point)
> is a much more important part for package scheduling.
This sounds fine.
>
>> PyQwt3d, Labplot,
>> Scidavis and perhaps some more programs depend on 0.2.7.
>
> I'm not quite convinced from what I've seen from the current interface
> (not the functionality per se!) for multiple curves. I'll discuss this
> at least with John and Ion, so we can find solutions for a subset of the
> mentioned applications and the interface himself. I'm just in the
> process of preparing a proposal.
>
> I'm afraid, for others compatibility issues will occur (in any case, the
> interface *will* change) and they have to stay with 0.2.7 if untouched.
> (the things said still don't mean a complete overhaul). Regarding
> PyQwt3d, I'll try to contact Gerard.
The current status in Debian is the following.
Source package:
  qwtplot3d
Binary packages:
  libqwtplot3d-qt3
  libqwtplot3d-qt3-dev
  libqwtplot3d-qt4
  libqwtplot3d-qt4-dev
  libqwtplot3d-doc
In order to make all coexist, I had to add the ending
libqwtplot3d.so > libqwtplot3d-qt{3,4}.so
and
/usr/include/qwtplot3d > /usr/include/qwtplot3d-qt{3,4}

If version 0.3.0 only supports qt4, then I suggest the following plan for
my Debian package release.

Source package:
  qwtplot3d0 version 0.3.0~20090511svn including multiple_curves branch
Binary packages:
  libqwtplot3d0
  libqwtplot3d0-dev
  libqwtplot3d0-doc
and I don't change any library names or include directories. In that way,
both 0.2.7 and 0.3.0 can coexist and no one is forced to upgrade his
program until version 0.2.7 stops compiling.

Is it OK that I release such a Debian package in order to release a new
Qtiplot package even if you have not agreed on the final feature plan? I
repeat that it takes more than a month to pass by the legal team and then
I can just make an upgrade as soon as it enters Debian with your new
version, provided that the license doesn't change from the current one
(the current new one). A new package or new license means a lengthy pass
through the legal team.

Regards
Gudjon

Re: Release plans

[Micha B. <kri...@us...>]

> Source package:
>   qwtplot3d0 version 0.3.0~20090511svn including multiple_curves branch
> Binary packages:
>   libqwtplot3d0

Is this additional Zero enough? (sounds not too descriptive to me, but I
don't know anything about the subtleties of debian packaging).

> Is it OK that I release such a Debian package in order to release a new
> Qtiplot package even if you have not agreed on the final feature plan? I
> repeat that it takes more than a month to pass by the legal team and then

If the interface of the new version differs from this package, QtiPlot
breaks at the very same moment. Wouldn't it be possible to link the
special/hacked qwt3d variant exclusively with QtiPlot for the moment
(perhaps statically) and to release a fake package with the new name
(if necessary for the legalisation procedure - if not, there is no
reason to release anything empty, isn't it?).

Micha  
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