[Packages] Split-Join in development universe etc

Keith Hodges keith_hodges at yahoo.co.uk
Wed Aug 1 21:56:12 UTC 2007


I added Split-Join as a package in the development universe.

This is a small set of functionality, much discussed on the list, which 
has not yet gained the notoriety required to make it into 3.10. Making 
this an item that can be named as a dependant, should other packages 
make use of it this has the benefit of recording its usefulness. It also 
means that I/you can write packages so that we can be sure it is loaded 
when needed.

I proposed enabling Universes to run arbitrary, or Installer based 
scripts, but this is considered somewhat cavalier. So undaunted, and no 
less barbaric I have used a PackageInfo-#preamble to load this script! 
This has the disadvantage of being hard to maintain and it is working 
invisible magic behind the scenes , whereas the script option would have 
been visible and manageable.

To use this you will need a PackageInfo-Base which supports preamble 
scripts etc. I am not sure if the Monticello in 3.10 can support this 
fully (it should do but I haven't tested it).

So in addition I have also uploaded Monticello1.5 ;-) to the package 
universe, in some areas it has been a radical makeover of 1.0 This 
should now be ready to use in 3.10 now that I have reinstated traits 
support.

recent work includes
- fixed monticello configurations
- fixed preambles/postscripts
- fixed browsing of configurations
- wired up load/merge/browse buttons for configurations
- real version numbering 1.2.3b etc
- out of order loading
- doesnt loose methods from packages so easily as 1.0
- support for traits reinstated
- (untested diffs support not expected to work)

The monticello in 3.10 is unique among monticello versions in that I 
find it impossible to work around so as to get it to load monticello 
1.5, so there is a Monticello15-bootstrap package which loads it in from 
source the first time. (Another task which a script would have been 
helpful for)

A warning though, there is one significant show stopper bug to catch, 
which I havent had time to track down in the past 3 months. When given a 
package in which classes change their instVars significantly (i.e in 
ways that 1.0 could not handle at all) the class can get corrupted and 
that package needs recompiling. We have found this is needed 
occassionally (i.e.it is usually signalled by the image crashing)

In spite of this I think that Monticello1.5 is nearly ready to be used 
in 3.10. I tried using the old one for a few hours and got very 
frustrated with loosing class extensions.

enjoy

Keith






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