Re: platform/version.scm

[Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen <petersen@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp>]

>>>>> "Jim" == Jim Blandy <jimb@red-bean.com> writes:

    >> I could imagine that this has been discussed before here.
    >> 
    >> I just want to ask, why is the file "version.scm" necessary?  Why is
    >> having the build date available to guile useful?

    Jim> I added that because, while doing Guile development, I periodically
    Jim> install versions that seem pretty stable, or that I want to test "in
    Jim> place".  But sometimes my SCHEME_LOAD_PATH would cause me to try to
    Jim> load the uninstalled Scheme code with the installed Guile, which would
    Jim> bomb in weird ways.

Talking of versions that are pretty stable.  Would it be possible to
put such versions on the ftp site, say as periodic beta releases (a
couple of times a month say)?

    Jim> I figured I couldn't be the only one having these problems.  So now
    Jim> the object library and the Scheme code are both timestamped at
    Jim> configure time, and Guile warns you if they're not matched.  Sometimes
    Jim> you don't care, but it's better to know than to waste a bunch of time
    Jim> because you didn't know.

I see.

    Jim> Is version.scm causing problems?  I'd like to know.  It's
    Jim> hardly a critical facility, and I'm sure I could find other
    Jim> ways to deal with the issue I described above.  I chose this
    Jim> one because it seemed the least invasive.

Not really causing any problems.  It's just that I run guile "in
place" (not just guile, everything I install myself in fact), and it
just seems a bit inelegant have a system dependent directory in

      SCHEME_LOAD_PATH=${GUILE_SRC}:${GUILE_SRC}/solaris:${SCHEME_LIB_DIR}:${SCHEME_LIB_DIR}/slib:${SCHEME_LIB_DIR}/jacal

specially since it is just for a single 61byte file.


How about just using some version numbering instead (or the date of
the snapshot)?  Then the extra directory wouldn't be necessary I
think.
-- 
Jens
---
"There is hopeful symbolism in the fact that flags do not wave in a
vacuum."
		--Arthur C. Clarke