Am 15.06.2011 10:32, schrieb Stephan Bergmann:
On Wed, Jun 15, 2011 at 9:51 AM, Christian Lippka<[email protected]> wrote:
[...]
Binfilter is kind of the later. It is something special as it does not
directly
use the UNO API but the XML format to communicate with the core Office.
Therefore it is possible and IMHO desirable to put binfilter and all
modules binfilter use in a separate repository that builds an optional
extension that can be used in any upcoming OOo version.
Usually code duplication is the root of all evil. In this case it is
justified as
there should by definition be no more work done on the binary filters
as the feature set of binary filters is locked. In the past there where
only
two types of work done in the binfilter module. The small part was of
course
to fix security issues found in the filter code. This will obviously have
to
continue. The major work caused by binfilter was to adapt it to changes
to underlying modules. This was not only wasted work but also had
the chance to introduce regressions.
A third part would be to reflect bugfixes in the copied-from modules to the
copied-to modules. And that's where the costs of duplication kick in. I
would prefer to avoid duplication.
That is a valid concern. But this is only true for old issues that may
not even have any
influence on the filter itself. On the other hand, if the shared modules
are changed,
the possible regressions are also available in the binary filter. And if
the regressions
only concern the binary filter, they may stay undetected as the binary
filters are not
that thoroughly tested than living features.
About your 'why?' question. I think we have to get rid of some stuff
sooner or later.
And I know from the discussions over the last decade, there is an
argument for keeping
everything. But if you follow this path then you pile up stuff and your
house becomes
a mess. Or you have additional cost to pay for a u-store.
I think the main reason why OOo has kind of staled lately was the goal
to do everything
and do everything perfect. IMHO we should prioritize on the important
issues and try
to keep distraction to a minimum.
Christian.
