Scripsit Jens Peter Secher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Henning Makholm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
>> If the source-level API differs, then having libpackage2-dev will
>> allow other packages to Build-Depend on the API they are written
>> against. Of course this is especially relevant when the API change can
>> make things break silently, but even outside that case, an explicit
>> build-dependency is easier to diagnose (and/or search for mechanically
>> over all packages in testing, say) than sudden compiler failures.
> But that problem could just as well be solved by versioned
> build-dependency on the -dev package, right?
No, because you can only give one inequality in a build-dependency.
You'd have to add a build-conflict for one of the directions, which is
decidedly kludgy.
It also works only if you know in advance which future version number
will stop providing the API you're programming against.
In summary: Yes, one could probably work around the lack of versions
in the -dev packages name, but the result would be (in my view)
significantly less elegant than having it there.
--
Henning Makholm "Jeg mener, at der eksisterer et hemmeligt
selskab med forgreninger i hele verden, som
arbejder i det skjulte for at udsprede det rygte at
der eksisterer en verdensomspændende sammensværgelse."
