Hello,
libs/vocabs is nice because people can migrate over to it gradually and
easily. I say gradually because it's possible an existing module to use one
of the vocabularies setup with the vocabs system. For example, I have the
beginnings of a non-core namespaces vocabulary called namespaces.lib. Any
existing module can use this easily. libs/vocabs is available as a standard
module so put this at the start of your file:
REQUIRES: libs/vocabs ;
That's all you need to hook into the new system. To "use" any vocabularies
setup with this new system, just use them. So your code could do:
USING: namespaces.lib hashtables.lib x ;
And it would automatically load in the right files.
So there's really nothing to mixing the current modules and the new vocab
style.
Converting the existing user contributed code base (apps libs demos) is really
trivial with libs/vocabs. Most of the work will be simply removing
load.factor files. Some complex vocabs like tetris and xml would have to
rename vocabularies, mainly replacing - with . and moving each vocab into
it's own directrory. For example:
tetris-piece => tetris.piece
And the file would be:
libs/tetris/piece/piece.factor
So the way vocabs is designed, we have the option of moving over gradually. In
fact, all the user contributed stuff could convert without the core
converting. Or we can do it all at once.
Note: *** This conversion will not affect most vocabulary names ***
The exception is hierarchical vocabs such as the tetris.piece example. But
things like parser-combinators and concurrency would stay the same; their
names would not be impacted.
libs/vocabs brings along some new things and will require adjustments. But as
you can see, the change over should be easy and painless. In fact it will be
helpful because it promotes organization.
All of this nice and gradual change over is due to one feature: vocabulary
roots.
Slava, if you want to not have an easy transition, put more work on yourself
and the community, and really force a huge bowel movement in 0.89, then go
ahead and not utilize vocabulary roots. You'll have a hugh and (as I
demonstrated) avoidable impact upon the code base in terms of vocabulary
renaming and their location in the filesystem.
I think a good plan is this. Switch to vocabs as it currently is. Use it for a
while. Get some experience. After 0.89 if you still want to have names like:
games.tetris.piece
or in my case:
libs.x.widgets.keymenu
and crazynuts USING: lines like this:
USING: kernel namespaces math vectors hashtables sequences threads gadgets
libs.math-contrib
libs.matrices
libs.vars
libs.slate
opengl
libs.rewrite-closures
libs.gadgets.handler
demos.lsys.strings
demos.lsys.opengl
demos.lsys.turtle
demos.lsys.camera ;
then by all means, eliminate the helpful concept of vocabulary roots.
But by doing so you are letting the filesystem control you instead of using it
as an organizational tool. And when you're struggling with those crazy vocab
names, just imagine the paradise that smalltalkers live in. There's no hint
of modules in their class and method definitions. They don't have to say "I'd
like to use this set of classes now, please USE: it". All they do is:
Boids new
All the classes are always available.
Their version of modules and vocabulary files is basically file-in. They do it
once and ***forget*** about files and where they exist in the filesystem. With
names like:
libs.x.widget.keymenu
I can *never forget* about the damned filesystem because it's rearing it's
ugly head in *every* vocabulary name. That is super lame.
The current module system took us farther away from the smalltalk example.
Overly strict file/vocab-name correspondence will take us even farther.
I think it's a bad direction to move Factor in. But of course it's your call.
After all, at the end of the day I can always pick up that Haskell or Squeak
book I've been meaning to work through. :-)
Ed
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