[Haskell] new Library Infrastructure spec.

[Isaac Jones]

(followups to libraries at haskell.org)

Hail Haskellers! 

A commonly-identified obstacle to the spread of Haskell libraries is
that there is no standard way

   a) for authors to package a library or other tool for distribution
      to others

   b) for customers to install such a package

Platforms vary.  Haskell compilers vary.  Packages have
dependencies. Etc.

Isaac Jones has coordinated an effort to address this problem.  We've
had a lot of discussion between him and (at least some of) the folk
involved in the GHC, Hugs, and nhc implementations.  This discussion
has led to a new concrete proposed specification[1].  Here it is:
http://www.haskell.org/libraryInfrastructure/proposal

See also the project home page:
http://www.haskell.org/libraryInfrastructure/

We would welcome your feedback, either as a potential library or tool
author, or as a potential consumer, or both.  The specification isn't
complete in every detail, but it seems better to post it before
investing in details that may be rendered void by subsequent
discussion.

We hope this will be an important spec, and will be with us for a long
time.  So now's the time to look at it.  Send feedback to
libraries at haskell.org.  (You can subscribe to this list at:
http://www.haskell.org/mailman/listinfo/libraries .)

Sincerely,

Isaac Jones,
Simon Marlow,
Ross Paterson,
Malcolm Wallace,
Simon Peyton Jones


[1] This specification differs from the previous proposal both in
technical details, and in that it is the combined efforts of the
undersigned.  Those familiar with the previous proposal will not find
large high-level differences, but some details have been made more
concrete and some details have changed.