[asdf-devel] ASDlite - light-weight excerpt from ASDF

[Dmitriy Ivanov]

Fare wrote on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:57:31 -0400 02:57:

F> I have added your tool to the list of non-ASDF build system at
F>         http://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/#what_it_is_not

Thanks you.

F> Have you looked at the other ones?

I intensively used Mark Kantrowitz's mk-defsystem a decade ago.

F> I don't see your system bringing enough new functionality
F> for anyone to bother switching, much less everyone.

Yes. There is no new functionality in ASDlite except operation arguments in
dependencies. But I am still uncertain about whether this brings much
benefit.

F> In the end, you're about the same size as ASDF 1,
F> and about the same functionality.
F> You have the same configuration issue as ASDF 1.
F> There are myriads of bugs that were fixed in ASDF 2
F> that you may have to face some day: regarding safe handling of pathnames
beyond
F> the Unix model (Windows, JVM, URLs);

It sounds strange to discover myriads of bugs in the partial sort algorithm
implementation :-)
Those bugs seem to originate from the multi-platform and
multi-implementation nature.

I am basically developing on Windows and do not see any troubles.

F> regarding extensibility of find-system,
F> and if Quicklisp hooks into it, potential infinite loops;
F> regarding the ability to upgrade your ASDlite from one version to
F> the next. etc. See the git log of asdf for so many bugs we fixed,
F> each corresponding to some use case we hadn't considered.
F>
F> I predict point 3 will bring you only sorrow,
F> unless you effectively embrace ASDF itself via some kind of bridge.

No sorrow. Someone else's libraries that I am using and that are equipped
with ASD-files can be built fine with ASDlite. That is enough to me.

I am realize the problems you are describing and appreciate the great amount
of ASDF maintenance efforts. I do not target at such an universal tool. No
plans of extending ASDlite much.

F> I do not say that to discourage you.
F> I hope you have fun developing and using your system.

I only needed a small library for handling module and file dependencies to
inherited from. Even not related to Lisp system compile-and-load tasks.

In hope ASDF could fit, I was entirely based on ASDF 1 previously. But after
I saw ASDF 2, I had declined to embed such a "heavy-weight" subsystem into
my projects.

Thank you once again for the detail response.
--
Sincerely,
Dmitriy Ivanov
lisp.ystok.ru