On Wed, 19 Mar 2003, Andreas J. Koenig wrote:
> > As I've said in previous conversations on the list, I'm not going to just
> > upload whatever modules I feel like, I'll only pollute the namespace I'm
> > granted by you guys.
>
> This is the central mistake, we do not speak ex cathedra and won't and cannot.
That's not what I'm getting at. CPAN is (to an extent) a peer-reviewed forum,
and in being so I'm loathe to upload something that no one sees any practical
use for. *Especially* if someone else has a better use for the same
namespace, I don't want to be squatting in the way.
> > Look, I'm a big fan of CPAN and Perl in general, and I appreciate the
> > opportunities I've been given to give something back in other modules. I just
> > want this system to work.
>
> Thank You!
You're most welcome, I don't say that lightly. The Perl community is by far
the best developer community out there.
> > All I expect is this: either "register" the module so it shows in the pause
> > interface, or tell me no, you don't think it's a worth-while addition to CPAN.
>
> No doubt is it a useful addition to CPAN. So far you have got a single
> answer that says, Text::InputRepository doesn't fly. It would be good
> to hear more suggestions, not necessarily from us. How are your users
> communicating? Should there not be a mailing list for your users where
> you could ask for namespace suggestions? Quite often the best ideas
> come from the user community. Couldn't you ask them?
I do have mailing lists, but while everyone agrees it's useful, no one really
cares what it's called. It's going to be used in one form or another by my
Curses::* kludges, but I purposely left it generic since it seemed that others
might get some value from it as well, but don't need or want my other crap.
> Maurice Makaay has taken the route to start a Curses::UI namespace
> where he puts all of his modules. Wouldn't it be a good idea if you'd
> do likewise?
Believe me, I am doing so, and I'll end up putting this under Curses::Widgets
if it doesn't get accepted by you. As I mentioned above, though, *any*
widget, curses or otherwise, that uses fixed width fonts could benefit from
this, there's nothing specific in it that pertains to my somewhat warped vision
of a widgets framework. I suspect that if I put it under my widget namespace,
though, no one using another widget framework will look at it twice, since
that namespace implies adoption of the framework as a whole.
> > If those expectations can't be met (and I don't think they're unreasonable),
> > let's find a way to recruit the community to help out. As always, I'm more
> > than happy to help in any way possible. But you need to give me a chance.
>
> The crux with having a team that gives advice on namespaces is that
> you cannot improve the advice by increasing the team size.
I have no quarrels with the advice I've gotten from this list, it's the lack
of responsiveness in general, and that would seem to indicate a scaling
problem. Again, the *one* response I got back I replied to, along with a few
other suggestions for the namespace that may address the voiced concerns. But
I recieved *nothing* from that, no mention if the other suggestions were
better, no mention if a better explanation from me of the purpose of the
modules made the original name made sense, nothing. Nor did I recieve any
responses to any of the other e-mails I sent out, at least until this one.
In other words, I'd be happy to take/discuss the advice, but you guys have
tended lately to send one barrage out and drop the conversation on the floor.
It's like starting a conversation with a blind man, then quietly walking away
while he's in the middle of a sentence.
> Yes, you were extraordinary unlucky so far, I'm sorry for that. I've
> already analysed the case of Parse::PlainConfig in a recent posting.
> Now it's about Text::InputRepository which has already been called an
> unlucky choice.
You have been very helpful on those cases, and I appreciate that greatly. In
fact, your approval on the Parse::PlainConfig took me by surprise since I
thought I had indicated that I would just move the active development into the
Config::* namespace as per brian's suggestion.
> I still have the impression that you're working on something that can
> be called a framework. Frameworks deserve their own namespace, like
> e.g. Curses::UI, Mason, Alzabo, MHonArc, POE, Zoidberg and what not.
I am, but only to an extent. I'm trying to keep things as atomic and flexible
as possible. Curses::Widgets should be able to be used by itself,
Curses::Forms extends it, as does Curses::Application. Like those, these
modules are intended to be used by whoever needs the functionality, but
without requiring the developer to buy into a whole framework, or a ridiculous
list of dependencies.
If, however, you'd prefer me to stay in the Curses::* sandbox, I will. In the
end, all I want is a definitive yes or no. All ideas are not good ideas, and
I expect to be shot down when I'm being dense. Without trying to sound
demanding, this forum is supposed to be the place where we ask these
questions, and I was expecting an answer.
--Arthur Corliss
Bolverk's Lair -- http://arthur.corlissfamily.org/
Digital Mages -- http://www.digitalmages.com/
"Live Free or Die, the Only Way to Live" -- NH State Motto
