Re: vn-cclan package naming conventions and repository organization

On Thu, 8 May 2003, Daniel Barlow wrote:

> > try to live with org.foobar.yadda.cl-dingdong. If definitely doesn't make
> > it easier to see what the package is about.
>
> It's not supposed to, though.  It's supposed to disambiguate packages
> - From different people who may want to use similar names (probably
> because they weren't aware of the other package already using
> whatever name)
>
> If we lose this, we have to hope that people get smarter about
> choosing their package names to avoid conflicts in the first place,
> or we have to get stricter about what does or doesn't go into cclan.
> Who gets the "md5" package?

I think some bit of control is good. I think that packages in this respect
can be split into two categories:

 * Those for which canonical cclan versions make sense. Like md5.
   I mean, how many alternative md5 packages do you think we need?

 * Those for which multiple implementations make sense. Like XML parsers.

The naming schemes could be:

 category-canon        (eg crypto-md5          <- canonical package)
 category-canon-name   (eg crypto-md5-foobar   <- alternative md5 package named foobar)

 and

 category-name         (eg xml-foobar          <- xml tools in called foobar)

This is not just a disambiguation issue, IMHO. It's also a classification
and distribution issue. If cclan abosulety wants to use a dot-hieracrhy,
then I suggest the followwing:

 cclan.category.name

 for example:

 cclan.md5.foobar
 cclan.xml-parsers.foobar

 possibly for canonical packages:

 cclan.ssl

Before you ask, there is a reason why I used varying categories for
packages: I don't think it's a solved problem. Should md5 be in crypto,
security, or is it a category of it's own?

Just thinking out loud.

Cheers,

  -- Nikodemus



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