Let's please try to keep the points objective. > 1) don't include at all > pros: > No need to worry about auto install or filesize. > cons: > Forces people to install themselves.
Is this really a valid con? This is the standard method of adding functionality to ANY programming language. It's not forcing anyone to do anything. If the end user decides that they would like to have XML capability, they will take the steps required to install such services. As of this moment that includes downloading and installing the libxml services. > 2) trim down libxml and put in cvs > pros: > Build outta the box. Makes php to build without having to download extra > libaries for highly used extension like domxml. Since domxml requires a newer > version of libxml than most people have it requires them to go an install it > before buiding php. Unless you have hard numbers, I'd really appriciate you not stating domxml is a highly used extension. Stating opinion as fact isn't going to help here. > cons: > People feel that maintaing this would be too much of a hassle. > Conserns about file size of the php package. Please keep these points to an objective point, and not a rhetoric with emotion. Con(s): - Requires maintaining code integrity across new versions of libxml - libxml is a moving target - Will require double the effort to provide a 0% increase in output. - Trimmed libxml is not a full libxml, leading to possible end user confusion. - Adds a new point requiring multi-platform release testing. > 3) figure out some method to auto download config/install > pros: > No extra filesize for php source. No matinance for php developers. This point would be more valid for the "requires minimal interaction with PHP developers" (i.e. hosted site changes location, path, or filename). > cons: > Someone needs to build this (semi complex). > Reliant on other servers being up/ asseable from clients machines (ie have > internet connection from the machinge its being installed from) Is this last really a con? It's the same problem across the debian apt-get, the BSD ports collection, and even for getting PHP itself. Which I believe is the more common way for people building PHP than actual tarballs. Although this is only conjecture with no real proof, so take that with a grain of salt. But these methods also check local library versions and will automatically get/update the library if necessary on a per flavor basis. > 4) Try and automate the sliming down of libxml and incorp it in the make dist. > pros: > Still have outta the box but it doesn't live in our cvs. > cons: > Someone needs to build this (relitivly simple). > Still have the filesize issue. Please do not dismiss the trying to hit a moving target as simplisitic. It's not. Having worked with moving targets in the past I can assure you, it is not a fun task. It gets exhausting very quickly. Con(s): - No way to automatically ensure new functionality validity - Will still require developer intervention (albiet less) - Will require multiple OS testing - Will not be valid if libxml is re-written/re-architectured - No way to tell if automated merges have selected the proper option (i.e. bug fix in PHP version and not in official distro). But you did forget at least one other option: 5) Provide a better form of documentation for the end users describing versions with which to use any/all extenions. Pro(s): - Doesn't require bundling of external code - Doesn't increase distribution footprint - Doesn't require double the developer time/effort - Keeps actively maintained libraries away from PHP developers concern - Benefits the entire PHP community rather than a single branch - Keeps the end user informed - Can potentially cut down on submitted bugs by keeping user libraries upto date with the library versions developers/testers are using. Cons: - Requires making information prominent on the web page and within releases - Requires PHP's extension developers to keep upto date information local/specific to PHP only - Requires being translated to all languages PHP manual is available in > Do we vote? Do we have all the options listed, along with their pro's and con's yet? >---------------------------------------------------------------< Dan Kalowsky "The record shows, I took the blows. http://www.deadmime.org/~dank And did it my way." [EMAIL PROTECTED] - "My Way", Frank Sinatra [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- PHP Development Mailing List <http://www.php.net/> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
