Source Releases

[Necoro]

Hi,

I just stumbled upon this nice language . And I am trying to use this for smaller future projects (currently Python is my preferred languages). Before this, it would be great to include Cobra in the normal package management of Gentoo Linux. But currently the normal releases only contain "binary" stuff, which won't be liked by the Gentoo devs. Therefore I ask you to also create source releases, so we can do it the Gentoo way and build it ourselves . Would that be possible? Because using self-made SVN snapshots is also not a good way to do it .

And another question: How much to you expect the syntax and behavior to change from release to release? - Or to put it in another way: Are releases downwards compatible?

[Charles]

Cobra is open source under the MIT license and the Subversion repository is publicly available. Also, the release I just did this morning, tagged 2009-04-07, is a source release and when you install it, is built on your system. So I think you're in good shape.

I guess you're saying that you also want the version number releases like 0.8 and 0.9 to have source versions as well. I can do that for the upcoming 0.9. Don't bother with 0.8 though, use the latest "informal release" instead.

Are version numbers like "2009-04-07" or "0.8 post 2009-04-07" compatible with gentoo?

Regarding compatibility, I won't guarantee it prior to 1.0, but we're very, very close. Many of the recent changes have been relaxations of the syntax, additions to the library or new features. Mix-ins are the newest and therefore least stable feature.

I support the idea of Cobra being available under the gentoo package system, so let me know if you have more questions.

[Charles]

By the way, how did you hear about Cobra?

Thanks,
Chuck

[Necoro]

Putting the informal releases into Gentoo is not a good way to go, I think. Only if this is absolutly necessary. So I would prefer to only add the "normal" releases. I will try to start with the upcoming 0.9 release (as I don't have time this ans the next week, this is ok). Beforehand I need to get familar with mono (and the way Gentoo deals with Mono) to figure out where to put things . And how to make Cobra applications link against the central cobra library and working thereafter .

I just looked through Wikipedia searching for interesting programming languages .

[Charles]

Cobra applications will link to the central Cobra library simply by virtue of the fact that the Cobra library resides in the Novell Mono GAC (Global Assembly Cache) when installed. This is how the other binary libraries for any kind of Mono-based software work.

[Necoro]

To hear that something like GAC exists is nice . Problem solved

It would also be nice to add arguments to InstallFromWorkspace:
- specifiying the prefix
- allow phases (compile-only, install-only)

Also: On Linux, I think the installed files should adhere to the FHS:
- put cobra into /usr/(local/)bin
- put the *html and *css into /usr/(local/)share/cobra
- put readmes and alike into /usr/(local/)share/doc/cobra-$VERSION
- the core dll is also in GAC ... so no need to put it somewhere else, is there?
- put cobra.exe into ... well ... /usr/(local/)lib/cobra/

/edit: Perhaps instead of a hand-crafted Cobra-Script ... perhaps a Makefile or using CMake/SCons/AutoHell/...

[Charles]

I agree about the arguments to InstallFromWorkspace. This would be a good exercise for aspiring Cobra programmers. (Whereas, compiler features and bugs are not necessarily good first exercises and keep me busy.)

The core dll must still be available as a file. Developers may need to deliver it to end-users with their program. Or they may wish to do something creative with it like manipulate it through Cecil (a tool for reading and manipulating DLLs) or even things I haven't imagined yet.

I'm fine with your FHS suggestions, but not an FHS expert myself. I'll leave it to you to write a script for FHS compliance.

[gauthier]

Hi Necoro,

I'm also a gentoo user and thought about getting an ebuild (learning how to make it in the process) would be usefull.

since you are on the same road, if you would like to share your exprerience, please PM me