Re: [Caml-list] Re: oasis packaging questions

["Daniel Bünzli" <daniel.buenzli@erratique.ch>]

> I don't think I'll be able to integrate the Object section in 0.3. I
> am really planning to release it soon.

  
For me you can forget about it. Jérémie convinced me that even for single module libraries cma is better (see discussion on list).  

> I just had a quick look at your
> git repository and I don't think there will be a difference for user
> if it is a .cma (as long as they use ocamlfind).

  
I also think so.  

> Never try autoconf ;-)

Never did ! Always scared me away.  

> OK, so first of all you are talking about the odb/GODI/oasis-db level.
> OASIS itself is not meant to handle that directly. There will be a
> plugin "oasis-db" that will allow you to do "oasis install xmlm" and
> "oasis uninstalll xmlm" and fetch the source from
> http://oasis.ocamlcore.org but this is the future and this won't be
> the core oasis system. You can have a look at odb that allow you to
> already do that after having uploaded your package to
> http://oasis.ocamlcore.org.
>  
> Concerning the ocamlfind install + documentation. I understand you but
> it is technically not feasible right now (AFAIK). Simple fact:
> ocamlfind cannot install files in subdirectories.


Ok interesting fact. This raises a few comments/questions.  

1) You tell me that's none of oasis business. But setup.ml sports a -install option so you actually deal with installing things (even if its via ocamlfind). More than that the examples I saw for Document sections are along the lines of copying things to a specific $htmldir so oasis seems to deal with that... At least that's the place where *something* should happen so that the right info gets to the right place.

2) How does godi et al. handle documentation ? I know for sure that odb doesn't do anything about it.

3) Would ocamlfind consider extending its approach to be able to install files in subdirectories ?

I really think that easy access to README, CHANGES and other bits like ocamldoc generated doc is paramount in a good package system since you don't get to see the tarballs anymore. I try to do my best and spend long hours on the documentation of the things I distribute (doesn't mean it's perfect, I sometimes don't understand what I wrote myself...), I want them to be somehow easily accessible (and easily destroyable).  

Can't we agree on something at that level ?  

Best,

Daniel

P.S. Btw. setup.ml -install should maybe also install the _oasis files.