Versioning, again (was: RE: [Zend Engine 2] Re: PHP is not case sensitive?)

[this is more php-dev stuff, thus moved there] Warning: This is yet another beaten up issue but as it still hasn't been fixed, we need to find a solution to fix it. Problems: Viability, BBC, WTFF, old extensions used with new PHP version. Proposals: My proposal is that first we come up with a versioning scheme with which everybody can agree on. Then we can release this scheme to 'public' and hopefully not have to discuss/fight about this again. Examples: http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.2/docs/guide/versioning/spec/VersioningSpecification.html http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/docs/guide/extensions/versioning.html http://www.zenspider.com/ZSS/Definitions/Versions.html (the last one is something that I'd like to see for PHP) Also, to make NEWS file more useful than it is now I (again) propose that it is reorganized like this: Categories: ! Important note * Changed + Added - Removed Reasoning: There has to be clear document that describes when and why a version number changes. If someone doesn't understand WHY this document is needed they should read the rest of this email. :) --Jani p.s. Rest can be safely ignored. It is just there to show what happens everytime this issue raises it's ugly head and shouts: "BOO!".. [Dejavu?] On Mon, 10 Sep 2001, Zeev Suraski wrote: >At 20:19 10-09-01, Jani Taskinen wrote: >>Who says you have to update PHP ? >I do, as do many others. PHP comes out with bug fixes and security >updates, as well as functionality updates that are necessary to complement >the progressing technology. Combine that with changes that break downwards >compatibility, and you have a problem. Who says we have to combine BC breaking with such releases?! Can't you get over with the version number phobia already? >It doesn't mean that downwards-compatibility breaking changes are >prohibited, but they have to be worth it., big-time They rarely are. Above. >>Who says you should not read NEWS file if you update PHP ? > >Who says that the one that installs the server software is the one that >uses it? You think small. You're thinking too big. Who says that the people writing the scripts can't read NEWS files (here: http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-4.php) ? Of course they won't bother to read them as long as we're doing micro number releases since everybody (except maybe the PHP developers) think that micro number releases don't have new funcs/BC breaking stuff but only bug fixes.. >Even if it is the same person, for the above reasons, forcing people to go >over their code is an expensive request. Every time you do that, the >viability of PHP decreases. Yeah, the current releases are considered very viable. (I hope the sarcasm gets through..I'm not that good in this..like Zeev :) Again: "You can't have an omelette without breaking some eggs.." --Jani