Proposal: Change to library proposal process

[Chris Dornan]

Speaking as such a developer,  I agree with Howard: can we please strongly
encourage upwards compatibility in API changes and well-documented migration
paths when this is not practical. 

 

I was somewhat surprised to see maintainers being given carte blanche to
break APIs, package-maintainers and developers not always having the same
interests.

 

It could take only a few package maintainers to get it wrong over several
revisions and Hackage and maybe Haskell Platform could get a reputation for
instability.

 

Is it understood that any changes that could break code must break the code
statically?

 

Chris

 

From: libraries-bounces at haskell.org [mailto:libraries-bounces at haskell.org]
On Behalf Of Howard B. Golden
Sent: 06 January 2011 17:36
To: libraries at haskell.org; marlowsd at gmail.com
Subject: Re: Proposal: Change to library proposal process

 

On 06 Jan 2011 11:32:45 +0000, Simon Marlow <marlowsd at gmail.com> wrote:

> The changes being proposed by Greg and Johan, as I understand it, would
> amount to the following.  I'm willing to give it a try; we can always go
> back if it doesn't work out.
>
>  - maintainers are empowered to make API changes.
>
>  - no formal review process for API changes, although there is an
>    expectation that non-trivial changes would still be discussed on
>    the list beforehand.