Re: [PDO] PDO2 as a set of PECL extensions, rather than PHP core?

On 28.01.2008, at 20:56, Jay Pipes wrote:

> Actually, Ben, this is an option that we discussed quite at length,  
> and one that I have been hoping someone in the community would bring  
> up again.  There was some dissent among members about the core and  
> the spec/API docs being non-CLA'd which is why the proposal is  
> currently the way it is.  I know that various legal teams had  
> concerns about PDO core not being under CLA, but if a case is made  
> in the community for this, perhaps minds may change.
>
> As I have stated in the past, it is my personal opinion that it is  
> best to let the community discuss and resolve the issues of the CLA  
> in an open matter and to support the end compromise/solution in  
> whatever ways I (and MySQL) can.  There are cases for and against  
> CLAs and now with various blog posts from Marco Tabini, Lukas, Bill  
> Karwin, Derick, and others, the issues are now being more clearly  
> and effectively outlined (versus the "NO WAY" reactions).  I have  
> good hopes that the community can come to a timely resolution to the  
> issues that will work for all parties involved.  Perhaps your  
> solution (non-CLA core&spec, CLA-optioned drivers) is the solution  
> which may best work, but only time and open discussions will tell.

I am trying to also answer Dan's email with this post. Generally  
anyone can create an extension outside of PHP. Thanks to PEAR channels  
anyone can create easily installable packages outside of php.net. This  
is possible today. Anyone could write a PDO driver today and publish  
it on their website.

If someone does work on a solid spec for PDOv2 without a CLA, it would  
be examined based on technical merit and could make its way into PECL  
and maybe eventually into core. However there is no sense in replacing  
the current PDO if in the end IBM, Oracle and Microsoft PDOv2 drivers  
are only on external sites.

Copying them into core before a release also seems absurd. If php.net  
ever determines to make some changes, there is no way to contribute  
them back (without a CLA) and as a result things will lead to a fork,  
especially if there are ever differences about implementation and code  
management. This is the show stopper .. not the current process of  
symlinking things from PECL into core.

regards,
Lukas