Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
Martin Eberhard Schauer wrote: X-Debbugs-CC: j...@edlug.org.uk Sorry, I nearly lost this one in my mailfilters. If I understand right: Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) looking for executable files matching a given name. Yes, that's what I meant, though I still feel that if the Debian package exists only as a token dependency this should be mentioned somewhere. (I notice the man page doesn't recognise the existence of any Microsoft operating system more recent than NT/9x and says it hasn't been tested on Mac OS or VMS, so just how portable is it anyway?) -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
On Sat, 08 Oct 2011 13:46:16 +0100, Justin B Rye wrote: The only shell I know of with a which builtin is zsh, but if that's missing Perl would be perfectly capable of using /usr/bin/which (provided by the Essential package debianutils). [..] So it's a safety-net to ensure the availability of a command that on Debian is guaranteed to be available anyway? No, AIUI it's the possibility to get a which-like functionality from within perl without having to call external tools. Cheers, gregor -- .''`. Homepage: http://info.comodo.priv.at/ - OpenPGP key ID: 0x8649AA06 : :' : Debian GNU/Linux user, admin, developer - http://www.debian.org/ `. `' Member of VIBE!AT SPI, fellow of Free Software Foundation Europe `-NP: Bob Dylan: Sad eyed lady of the lowlands signature.asc Description: Digital signature
Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
gregor herrmann wrote: So it's a safety-net to ensure the availability of a command that on Debian is guaranteed to be available anyway? No, AIUI it's the possibility to get a which-like functionality from within perl without having to call external tools. And there are environments where it's worth minimising the overhead of system processes, even while you're accessing the file system in search of external tools! But if this is its primary selling point then maybe it should be mentioned in the package description: Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) looking for executable files matching a given name. . On Debian /usr/bin/which is guaranteed to be available, but going through the Perl implementation can still save a fork. -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
Package: libfile-which-perl Version: 1.08-1 Severity: wishlist Dear Maintainers, working on the translation of the package description to German I found an issue, at least for me ;-) The former translation was plain wrong. I believe rewording the description (1) will make it better comprehensible. Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files having the name specified as a parameter to which(), simulating the behaviour of the standard `which' program. Obiously we find upstream's (2) wording: DESCRIPTION File::Which was created to be able to get the paths to executable programs on systems under which the `which' program wasn't implemented in the shell. ** File::Which searches the directories of the user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec-path()), looking for executable files having the name specified as a parameter to which(). ** Under Win32 systems, which do not have a notion of directly executable files, but uses special extensions such as .exe and .bat to identify them, File::Which takes extra steps to assure that you will find the correct file (so for example, you might be searching for perl, it'll try perl.exe, perl.bat, etc.) The way I understand the description, the following might be an alternative File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files. Kind regards Martin 1: http://ddtp.debian.net/ddt.cgi?desc_id=6 2: http://search.cpan.org/~pereinar/File-Which-0.05/Which.pm -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
Martin Eberhard Schauer wrote: I believe rewording the description (1) will make it better comprehensible. Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files having the name specified as a parameter to which(), simulating the behaviour of the standard `which' program. Do you mean you were having trouble with the syntax, and the ambiguity about which of the previously mentioned goings-on was being referred to as simulating the behaviour of the standard `which' program? Or is it the content that's a problem? Obiously we find upstream's (2) wording: DESCRIPTION File::Which was created to be able to get the paths to executable programs on systems under which the `which' program wasn't implemented in the shell. Implemented in the shell seems (from the description below) to be a factual error not present in the Debian package description's account. The only shell I know of with a which builtin is zsh, but if that's missing Perl would be perfectly capable of using /usr/bin/which (provided by the Essential package debianutils). ** File::Which searches the directories of the user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec-path()), looking for executable files having the name specified as a parameter to which(). ** Under Win32 systems, which do not have a notion of directly executable files, but uses special extensions such as .exe and .bat to identify them, File::Which takes extra steps to assure that you will find the correct file (so for example, you might be searching for perl, it'll try perl.exe, perl.bat, etc.) So it's a safety-net to ensure the availability of a command that on Debian is guaranteed to be available anyway? In other words, it's a module that exists only so that it can be listed in the dependencies of software that wants to have the same dependencies on Windows and Linux? If so, it might be helpful if the package description said so. The way I understand the description, the following might be an alternative Turning it round this way should remove the ambiguity mentioned above, yes. File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files. It doesn't just return success if it finds any executables in PATH directories; it looks for particular command names. You might abbreviate it to looking for executable files matching a given name, though. -- JBR with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
Bug#644701: libfile-which-perl: package description
X-Debbugs-CC: j...@edlug.org.uk I believe rewording the description (1) will make it better comprehensible. Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files having the name specified as a parameter to which(), simulating the behaviour of the standard `which' program. Do you mean you were having trouble with the syntax, and the ambiguity about which of the previously mentioned goings-on was being referred to as simulating the behaviour of the standard `which' program? Or is it the content that's a problem? My problem was having the name specified as a parameter to which(). Obiously we find upstream's (2) wording: ... should be a hint to the maintainers that the upstream wording is problematic. File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) and looks for executable files. It doesn't just return success if it finds any executables in PATH directories; it looks for particular command names. You might abbreviate it to looking for executable files matching a given name, though. If I understand right: Description: Perl module for searching paths for executable programs File::Which simulates the behavior of the standard 'which' program: it searches directories of a user's PATH (as returned by File::Spec) looking for executable files matching a given name. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org
