On Jul 18, 2006, at 3:43 AM, Frank Barknecht wrote:
Hallo, Mathieu Bouchard hat gesagt: // Mathieu Bouchard wrote:
On Mon, 17 Jul 2006, Frank Barknecht wrote:
Classname prefixes like "list-", "gem_", "cxc_", etc. are
deprecated and ugly in my opinion. Can we all agree on that at least?Hans, I agree that it is your opinion.
Not quite yet.
More like: never.
But as soon as your libdir-patch is in main Pd, I would agree.
Why?
See my other mail for my reasoning. I wouldn't deprecate class-/filename prefixes or call them more ugly than directory prefixes, but in general I don't care how prefixes are implemented or used. My problem is with abstractions not being completely prepared for directory prefixes in main Pd because of help-path issues. Basically that's why I dropped the idea to use a directory prefix for rradical two years ago, the remains are here: http://footils.org/cms/show/22
With the libdir setup, there is a simple workaround for this problem:
add "extra" to the help path. It would just cause problems if there
are help files directly in "extra", which there shouldn't be.
However once the help-file issue is sorted out, using directories makes installing and moving and deleting collections of externals and abstractions much easier. You don't want list-abs? Just delete the directory. You have your own "list/*" collection? Just rename mine to "list-foobar" and use "list-foobar/drip". From a maintainer's point of view directories have a lot of advantages. But they are nothing special when it comes to resolving name clashes, because as I see it they don't do much that wouldn't be possible with file- or classname prefixes as well.
Supporting every layout possibility and naming scheme under the sun
creates a lot more work. I think we have a lot to gain by
standardizing these things, then we can spend that effort on more
interesting things. If you look at the study of usability, you'll
find that consistency is a key concept. Pd could use a lot more
consistency.
.hc
"[W]e have invented the technology to eliminate scarcity, but we are
deliberately throwing it away to benefit those who profit from
scarcity." -John Gilmore