Re: [Tcllib-devel] Tcl 8.2 support

[Lars H. <Lar...@re...>]

Andreas Kupries skrev:
>> Andreas Kupries wrote:
>>> * New packages have to promise to support at least Tcl 8.4.
>> One way to interpret that statement is that you will reject from
>> tcllib any packages that require Tcl 8.5.

In addition, out of context I'd interpret that as [package require Tcl 
8.3] being better than this minimum, [package require Tcl 8.2] being 
better still, and possibly [package require Tcl 8] being the optimum.

"Support at least" is confusing. (We're really considering a set of 
supported Tcl versions here, so "at least" should apply to the size of 
this set.) A phrase based on "require" would probably be clearer.

 >> Is that what you mean to say?
> 
> No. ... Let me see if I can be more clear.
> 
> New packages should promise to support Tcl 8.4 and higher, or promise to
> support Tcl 8.5 and higher.
> They should not promise to support a version below Tcl 8.4.

Gee... and I was just about to contribute a package that naturally 
comes in at [package require Tcl 8.2]. Better hurry it into CVS then? ;-)

I can understand a policy of "don't make any changes to patches, or 
otherwise restrain your coding style, just for the sake of preserving 
compatibility with Tcl 8.x if x<4". I can also understand not wanting 
to entertain old Tcl versions just for the sake of testing tcllib 
releases, in the hope that someone, somewhere might appreciate it.

On the other hand, denying the actual compatibility level of a piece of 
software feels rather artificial.

Is the catch the uncertainty factor: that one can _presume_ a package 
works with Tcl 8.2 based on the features it uses, but won't really 
_know_ whether this is the case until having tested it on an actual Tcl 
8.2 interpreter?

The rule that incrementing required Tcl version should lead to a (minor 
version) increment in package version seems wise.

Lars Hellström