Re: [PHP4BETA] Re: [PHP-DEV] Re: [PHP4BETA] PHP 4.0.0 Release packaged

Hello Rasmus,

On 21-May-00 03:51:21, you wrote:

>> So, to sum up:  PHP releases need to go through an effective code freeze
>> period and from then on only bug fixes are performed until there a release
>> is produced.  All reports should be handled in a first come, first
>> addressed basis.  Reproducible bugs should have the priority.  All features
>> should be properly documented or else you would better not announce them.
>> 
>> I think that these rushed releases should be rethought.  PHP needs all the
>> credibility as it may get. Rushing it as it is, is not helping.

>Release early, release often.  It is pretty much as simple as that.  It
>keeps the project dynamic, it keeps people interested and it keeps things
>fun.  Only a few of the PHP developers actually do this as their fulltime
>job.  Probably only Zeev and Andi right now.  For the rest of us it is
>more of a hobby, so you are completely right in saying that it isn't done
>in a professional manner.  This is the very definition of large open

That's right and that's precisely PHP wastes big chances of being more
accepted as a serious solution among the world of companies that are
willing to pay for Web development services.

This may not affect you if you don't do Web development for a living. But
that affects many of us that are specialized in PHP based Web development
and loose work opportunities every day because PHP is not even very well
known among paying clients, and even among those that know it, PHP is not
credible enough because it carries the bad reputation of less professional
free software development.

This bad reputation has to be reversed at least for PHP, or else we will
keep suffering from its consequences every day.


>source projects.  But I also don't agree that it is all that
>unprofessional.  We need to strike a balance between keeping it fun and
>interesting for everyone involved and being conservative.

You can have fun and still do a competent job.  You have coding standards
that all contributors should follow.  Among many other things you should
have stricter contribution rules like requiring extensions to be properly
documented to be officially accepted.


>To reach the lavel of code maturity you seem to insist on you need 6-month
>complete code freeze periods.  For people who wish to contribute snippets
>of code and the occasional new feature a 6-month code freeze is completely
>discouraging.  The current approach has worked pretty well so far.  Yes
>there will be bugs, and yes they will be fixed.

If you read my message again you won't see anywhere any recommendation to
freeze the code for 6 months.  You see that I am recommending that code
should be frozen on the first release candidate, which for PHP 4 was on
March 27, less than 2 months ago.


Regards,
Manuel Lemos

Web Programming Components using PHP Classes.
Look at: http://phpclasses.UpperDesign.com/[email protected]
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