Re: tp versions

[Patrice Dumas]

On Wed, Jan 04, 2012 at 11:20:49AM -0800, Karl Berry wrote:
> Many of the .pm files evidently define their own version.
> Is there a reason why they all need a separate version?
> It seems like a nightmare to me.
> If the idea is to have unique version information for the submodules,
> then I think we should use something automated, like $Id$ or $Revision$.

The version is used when doing a 

use Module 3.05;

So they are to be left for modules which may be required with a version.
I have removed it from some modules that should not be called directly.
I will do a simple sed script to synchronize versions in all the perl 
modules that need a version.  I am not completly convinced that the perl 
module(s) version should be synchronized with texinfo versions, as
there may be more texinfo releases that standalone perl modules releases
(if there are ever released...).

As a side node, it would make sense to have a $VERSION in 
Texinfo::Convert::Paragraph, Texinfo::Convert::Line, and 
Texinfo::Convert::UnFilled that would be uncorrelated from the version 
in the other modules, but currently there is no version there.

> Meanwhile, where is the "real" version number defined?  It would be best
> to be able to use the value in configure.ac (currently 4.13.90), but if
> that's not practical, we can just edit it.  But let's edit it in only
> one place :).

For texi2any.pl it is taken from configure.ac, and if not set, 
from $Texinfo::Parser::VERSION.  In texi2any.pl:

my $configured_version = '@PACKAGE_VERSION@';
$configured_version = $Texinfo::Parser::VERSION
  if ($configured_version eq '@' . 'PACKAGE_VERSION@');

The default for converters is in 'PACKAGE_VERSION' and is set in 
texi2any if called from texi2any, otherwise, the defaults is empty, 
this is what is used in tests, such that it is reproducible.

> On a semi-related front: does the ./Changes file serve a real purpose?
> I don't see it.

It is for changes relevant only for tp as a perl module.  For example
changes in Makefile.PL noteworthy to be recorded there.  This is indeed
unlikely, but for now I see no harm in leaving it here.  In it I have 
written (rereading it, I notice that it is very unclear, I may change 
it...):

 Revision history for Perl extension Texinfo::Parser.
 This files lists only perl specific informations.  The
 main ChangeLog is in the texinfo distribution.

-- 
Pat