optional_features key names
[email protected] (Barbie)
| Newsgroups | perl.cpan.workers |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
Hi All, While reviewing a fix to my Test-(CPAN|JSON|YAML)-Meta distributions, regarding optional_features, it was questioned what the key name in each map should be. Below is an excerpt of a discussion between Kevin Ryde and myself, via the RT#52685 [1] [1] http://rt.cpan.org/Public/Bug/Display.html?id=52685 From: Kevin Ryde via RT <[email protected]> "Barbie via RT" <[email protected]> writes: > > Although not explicitly stated in the current specifications (v1.0 - > v1.4), the convention has been to precede user defined keys with > "[xX]_". That doesn't sound right for the optional features names. The effect would be that anything is allowed in lower case, but if you want upper case you must write x_. That x_ bit is for extensions to maps with spec-defined keys isn't it? In the optional features names there isn't anything spec-defined, it's all user-defined names, and you're free to write anything, isn't it? Either way it would help for the spec to say something there, as I can't imagine I'll be the last to wonder what it is or isn't supposed to be. > as defined in the current blead version of v2.0 of the specification: Sounds a bit dangerous to enforce future spec against META.yml's which only declare themselves as 1.4 or whatever. But my reading of that x_ would be that in 1.4 no unknown keys are allowed (toplevel, requires maps, etc), but 2.0 allows unknown keys if they begin x_, ie. a loosening ... ----- End forwarded message ----- Although the convention for the X_ naming is only stated in v2.0, it has been discussed before and been considered acceptable. However, I think Kevin makes a good point as to whether this should be backported. Thoughts welcome. Kevin also makes a good point regarding what characters should be allowable in an optional feature key name. Currently there is no specific mention of how optional features should be named (lower case? preceding X_? any value in the character class \w?). What would be the recommended naming convention for optional features? Cheers, Barbie. -- Birmingham Perl Mongers <http://birmingham.pm.org> Memoirs Of A Roadie <http://barbie.missbarbell.co.uk> CPAN Testers Blog <http://blog.cpantesters.org> YAPC Conference Surveys <http://yapc-surveys.org>