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From: "Alejandro R. Mosteo" <alejandro@mosteo.com>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Ada package registry?
Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2016 14:33:55 +0100
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Xref: news.eternal-september.org comp.lang.ada:29457
Date: 2016-02-09T14:33:55+01:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

On 09/02/16 09:04, Thomas Løcke wrote:
> On 02/09/2016 01:05 AM, Randy Brukardt wrote:
>> My vision of Ada is of a language in which to construct code that is
>> portable across implementations and across targets. To the extent that a
>> tool, no matter how well-intentioned, interfers with that, then it is
>> harmful to the future of Ada. GNAT /= Ada!! What I heard being discussed
>> only seemed to make sense within the context of GNAT on Linux, because
>> that's the only place where "package managers" make sense.
>
>
> Package managers make sense on all operating systems I'm aware of. The
> fact that some don't have a package manager does not mean that they
> can't or shouldn't have one.

And what's more, once you get used to them you miss them dearly when absent.

I've installed and used the Haskell Stack
> tool on Windows, OS X and Linux, and it works equally well on all three.
>
> I urge you to take a look at how the Haskell community have solved this
> particular "challenge". Stack / Cabal / Hackage are wonderful tools,
> created and maintained by a fairly small community.
>
> http://docs.haskellstack.org/en/stable/README.html
>
> I'm quite sure the Ada community could adapt those tools to match the
> needs of Ada in the 21st. century. I don't think we have to reinvent the
> wheel in order to gain the benefits of a proper package manager.

I'm totally behind the idea. Alas, time is as scarce as ever.

Also, I think we're witnessing a new case of 'perfect is the enemy of 
the good'. Should really a submitted library compile in every OS ever, 
with every compiler ever, using the most complex dependencies there to 
be found? Just mark what works and what doesn't and let the Ada masses 
(:-)) improve on that.

>
> :o)
>