----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Marshall" <chm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
.
.
> >
> > I have a very limiting notion of what a
> > prerequisite is. If module_A is usable without
> > module_B, then module_B is not a prerequisite
> > for module_A.
>
> I agree. The question is what consists of a
> usable PDL.
Well, to me, if "use PDL;" compiles then the module is usable. That's
(tauto)logical, isn't it ? :-)
>
> Matrix operations are essential to an array/data
> language like PDL. However, I would like to see
> soft failure where we fallback to more limited
> functionality if the complete environment is not
> present.
I think Module::Install offers something like this. (I'm loathe to raise
this as I don't like Module::Install and I don't really want to encourage
its use. I would rather see EU::MM adopt something similar, but I don't
think that's going to happen.) eg when building PAR, which *does* use
Module::Install, the 'perl Makefile.PL' process will check firstly for
pre-requisite modules, then for recommended modules - and report on its
success or otherwise for both categories (as well as offer to fetch and
install any prereq/recommended module that is not present).
> Maybe a more modular install process could offer
> more fine-grained PDL build control. For example,
> we could have a base/core PDL that installs and
> then additional functionality could be added on
> through additional installs.
>
I can't think of any really convincing arguments one way or another - though
I did find myself wishing for just this recently while trying to debug a
PDL::IO::GD problem. It would have been so much easier if PDL::IO::GD were a
separate install. In fact, in the end, I rewrote it *as* a separate install
just so I could test changes that I was making without having to re-compile
PDL in its entirety.
Of course, ease of troubleshooting is not a terribly convincing argument in
favour of modularisation . And there's always the possibility that a user
will find that this "all-in-one" PDL offers some nifty functionality that he
would never have dreamed existed - and would not have gone looking for if
PDL had been modularised.
Like you, I haven't been around long enough to appreciate the history. It
does seem to fit the current "provide everything" perl philosophy.
I personally deplore that philosophy .... but, let's face it, I'm
anachronistic and reactioanary ....
Cheers,
Rob
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