Re: [TCLCORE] TIP #291: Add the 'platform' Package to Tcl

[Steve L. <st...@di...>]

On 02/11/2006, at 2:25 AM, Joe English wrote:

>
> Steve Landers wrote:
>>
>>  TIP #291: ADD THE 'PLATFORM' PACKAGE TO TCL
>> [...]
>>  This TIP proposes adding the *platform* package to the Tcl core  
>> sources
>>  and to install it automatically, similar to what is currently  
>> done with
>>  the *tcltest* package.
>
>
> This would be an excellent candidate for tcllib, but I don't
> believe it belongs in the core.
>
> Putting it in tcllib will make it available for all Tcl versions,
> not just 8.5a<mumble> and up.
>
> Porting Tcl to a new Unix-like platform is usually pretty easy --
> if the target is even vaguely POSIX-like, 'configure; make; make
> install' tends to Just Work.  However, devising a suitable set
> of heuristics for [platform::identify] and [platform::generic]
> requires a great deal of knowledge and experience about the
> target OS.  Consequently, [platform::identify] will need to
> evolve more quickly than the core release schedule will allow;
> putting it in tcllib instead of the core will make that easier.

Good points Joe, but I don't see this as an "either/or" situation.

I'm more than happy for platform to go into tcllib and evolve  
quicker, but strong believe that it needs to go into the core as  
well, so developers can rely on it being present.

Remember that the TIP authors are at the pointy-end of delivery multi- 
platform distributions and extensions - and only too aware of the  
problems that entails.

Steve