Re: ASDF: module and system level dependencies don't work right?

> I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean by dependencies
> flowing.  Dependencies don't exist (as far as ASDF knows) unless
> you've specified them with :depends-on, right?  If you don't want your
> modules to depend on each other, you just don't say that they do.  So
> I guess I've misunderstood you?

Oh, I'm probably just being incoherent again. <smile>

I agree that dependencies only exist if you specify them. Once  
specified, they flow. So I think we're on the same page there.

The discussion below isn't quite right and I've got to get the kids  
to school (!) but I think there is grist here. There are (at least)  
two kinds of dependencies:

1. This "thing" won't compile correctly unless this other "thing" is  
already compiled/loaded
2. This "thing" won't run unless this other thing is already compiled/ 
loaded.

An example of the first is a macro definition or a defvar/ 
defparameter. An example of the second is a regular function.

Currently, ASDF conflates these two dependencies and treats them  
differently. The (:file X :depends-on Y) is an example of the first  
kind; it says "recompile X if anything in Y changes". The  
dependencies between modules are like the second kind; it says that  
"before you load X, load Y" but doesn't do any reasoning about dates.

Perhaps all of this can be made more explicit.

P.S. Does anyone know why I receive at least two and sometimes more  
messages for every message sent to this list and/or where to look to  
fix it!! Thanks.
-- 
Gary Warren King
metabang.com
http://www.metabang.com/