Re: [boost] Breaking existing libraries

Subject: Re: [boost] Breaking existing libraries
From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-11-21 05:08:16

joaquin_at_[hidden] wrote:

>>
>> Do you think it will work? You basically want users to grab new Boost,
>> build it, update their source code, and do automatic and manual QA. And
>> all this during 2-weeks window. And further, if user runs into a bug
>> he has to fix it, or discuss with Boost developers, and this means maintaining
>> two branches of the code, which the associated overhead.
>>   
> 
> What's the purpose of having a beta then if not to let users test the
> code before the final release? If two weeks is too little time maybe we should
> consider extending it, but undergoing a beta period without actually expecting 
> to receive users' feedback makes no sense to me.

I guess that the only feedback we can practically expect is that the next release
is not a brick. Maybe also some feedback about cool new features that users are
dying for -- if such features are advertised properly.

Interface-breaking changes in a specific library are likely to be missed, so *if*
we want interface compatibility in some form, we need some other mechanism in place,
for example:

        * A policy that interface breakage need to be discussed
        * Running old release tests against new Boost version
        * Dot releases

- Volodya