RE: Hmmm.... future of cons?

[Nadim Khemir]

> From: address@hidden [mailto:address@hidden
> Sent: Friday, May 17, 2002 6:30 PM
> 
> Gary Oberbrunner wrote:
> > should consider all the options carefully, but don't avoid it
> > just because there aren't frequent cons releases.  I don't
> > think anything else out there is as good today.  And if you
> > don't like how it works, just change it -- it's only perl! :-)
....
> 
> IMHO cons is not maintained simply because it isn't all that
> maintainable... I *like* Perl, but perhaps I should start
> learning Python...
>     Vasek

Gary, the problem is not with infrequent releases,

1/ the problem is with the crap release that one downloads from the home
page

2/ The problem is with the person taking care of the web page (or the lack
of care) that leaves a broken version there for months even if _many_ want
it changed (It scares most away I'd say)

3/ Even if some guys are very helping, the energy level is quite low

4/ Some answers are plain silly, like "do it yourself". Even if someone
wants to do something he must be help for a start.

5/ The energy found is not canalized properly because no one is really
burning for this project.

6/ Vasek might be right, the code is quite confused and not easily grasped.
I do a lot of development and I understand why it's like it is but that
doesn't make it right. Over 3000 lines of perl for cons "feels" like:
"what's going on in here, that could be written in much less lines (I am not
talking about making it more compact)"

Vasek:
Learn python if you'd like to but that doesn't fix your problem (perl rocks,
I'd say nothing about Python to avoid silly wars). SCons still does less
than Cons (hope they both get better). The code you took for an (bad)
example is not that bad. Some more Perl programming and you'll get there.
You still might have a point. I won't tell you "just change it" as I hate
that answer. If I ask for help, I'd rather get no answer than a non-answer.

I think Vasek question is very pertinent. Is Cons alive, who runs the
project, who cares about the question asked, will the web site be updated
some day soon, How do join our efforts?

Cons is a sick open source project, everyone owns it so nobody cares.

OK, OK I complain but do nothing to make things better I hear. No, wrong,
Someone asked for help to write more documentation and some tutorial, I
wrote that I had good examples and that I'd gladly contribute. Nothing
happens. I don't blame the guy that started but didn't finish his idea but
it's no fun.

I had a problem with a script that doesn't work under unix but works under
windows (yes I am surprised too). I wrote a mail, got no answers, wrote a
makefile instead. Arghhhh, That's what we don't want to happen go back to
make because Cons feels too clumsy to use.

What do we do now? We could discuss this for ages and come nowhere. Either
one is in or out. I am in and I want cons to live (in this form or another).
I someone feels like running the project please speak out.

Nadim.