Re: [boost] Vault: still needed?

Subject: Re: [boost] Vault: still needed?
From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2009-01-23 09:07:53

Emil Dotchevski wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 3:24 PM, Edward Diener <eldiener_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> Emil Dotchevski wrote:
>>> But my understanding is that it contains things that may never become
>>> official part of Boost. In that case, the vault provides means for
>>> distribution of Boost-related files, for which SVN is inadequate for
>>> the same reason it's inadequate to be the only way to distribute Boost
>>> itself.
>> I'll bite. What is "the same reason [SVN is] inadequate to be the only way
>> to distribute Boost itself" and why should this have anything to do with the
>> sandbox as a way to distribute Boost-related software ?
> 
> I mean, we could distribute Boost by placing releases in SVN (let's
> say in a "releases" folder), and have users download them through the
> web SVN access, but instead we distribute Boost through SourceForge.
> This is simpler than having to dig through the SVN repository to
> figure out what to download, etc.

Releasing Boost is a relatively infrequent process compared to new 
software or updates in the Boost sandbox/Boost vault, which occur 
regularly. That's why having a separate place on sourceforge for 
complete Boost releases while the latest Boost is under SVN does not 
impact anyone negatively.

> 
> The Boost Vault is similarly simpler than a giant SVN tree (I suppose
> the word "inadequate" was a bit excessive.)

One can place anything under SVN, including entire implementations in 
compressed file format, in any branch of SVN. Why not simply have a 
"Vault" branch of Boost's SVN and then have everyone who is used to 
using the Boost Vault place there software there. The end user could 
then use the "Vault" branch of Boost's SVN to get at it, and this would 
not impact other users of Boost's SVN from getting the latest Boost from 
the "trunk" in any way whatsoever.

At least in this way there would be a single central repository where 
all potential Boost software resides, including new releases etc.

People really need to get with the idea that SVN can be used for any 
type of software being released rather than thinking of it as only 
software undergoing incremental changes.