[asdf-devel] ASDF 2.0 and beyond.

[Juan Jose Garcia-Ripoll]

On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 12:20 AM, Faré <fahree at gmail.com> wrote:

> PS: after 2.0 is out, I'd like to resign from ASDF maintainership, to
> focus on XCVB (help welcome on that, too). Is anyone volunteering to
> replace me on ASDF?
>

After thinking about it, I am willing to step up as a possible replacement.
The reasons why I would go that far are
* My own personal interest in ASDF working properly with ECL and other
implementation philosophies.
* My belief that ASDF can and should be improved along the directions I have
repeatedly mentioned: declarative system files, simpler user interface for
common tasks (testing, building, packing, installing...).
* My will to make it simpler to systematically download, build and test
existing software with different implementations [1]

Reasons why I am still doubting:
* I have the feeling my points of view do not find a strong resonance here.
* If other implementations remain silent, as mostly so far, this may end up
a futile effort.
* Total unfamiliarity with the ASDF development process, with launchpad and
* in particular with the history of past decisions (though this might be a
plus)
* The previous point might also mean inadequacy to solve some existing bugs
(TRAVERSE).
* Limited exposure to other implementations myself (SBCL, CLISP and stop
counting)
* ECL is and will continue to be my first priority in terms of time and
resources.
* Very intermittent availability: CL is my hobby, not my job.

Among my goals would be to implement a faster development model that is
based on a more agile dialogue
* Feature is proposed with a model implementation
* Arguments in pro/cons in the list
* Implementation committed only to an asdf-devel branch or to a personal
repo.
* Verification that all relevant software builds
* Iterate from (2)
* Repeat until enough features grant a push to master and a release.

Ingredients needed
* Help.
* Dialogue and feedback here: developers, implementors and users.
* A short term roadmap and an agreement on long term goals.
* A test system that works on the asdf-devel branch. I can provide
computational power and several operating systems if somebody helps me
identifying the perfect list of software and setting it up --
http://ecls.sourceforge.net/logs.html
* Involvement from the community at large, perhaps with periodic calls for
evaluation at c.l.l and other forums, setting up a wiki for wish lists and
collaboration with particular efforts (libcl, clbuild, lisp in a box?)
* Connecting the test system with an enlarged version of the ASDF analyzer,
to monitor evolution of software in real time and how and whether ASDF
features get widely accepted.

All this can not be done without help. I am willing to learn and to listen
to everybody's point of views, but I would expect the same, as well as
understanding of my verbosity, my lack of communication skills and my
occasional emotional outbursts.

Juanjo

[1] Seen http://174.129.66.148:8000/systems I failed to do the same with
ECL's current extensions due to the limitations of the current system.

-- 
Instituto de Física Fundamental, CSIC
c/ Serrano, 113b, Madrid 28006 (Spain)
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