package-mode, release notes?

package-mode, release notes?

[Neal Becker]

I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in package-mode.

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Xue Fuqiao]

On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote:
> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in package-mode.

Maybe you meant package.el.  You can send it to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org or
Tom (elpa AT tromey.com).

--
Best regards, Xue Fuqiao.
http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Dmitry Gutov]

Xue Fuqiao <xfq.free@gmail.com> writes:

> On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in package-mode.
>
> Maybe you meant package.el.  You can send it to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org or
> Tom (elpa AT tromey.com).

To be more accurate, you can send the feature request to
bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org, but you probably shouldn't email Tom on this
subject (he's the author of package.el, but he's not maintaining it).

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Teemu Likonen]

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Xue Fuqiao [2013-05-21 07:07:06 +08:00] wrote:

> On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in
>> package-mode.
>
> Maybe you meant package.el. You can send it to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
> or Tom (elpa AT tromey.com).

But I don't think there are _the_ release notes anyway. I mean there are
no standard way for package authors for publishing release notes. My
packages don't have any.

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Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Neal Becker]

Teemu Likonen wrote:

> Xue Fuqiao [2013-05-21 07:07:06 +08:00] wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in
>>> package-mode.
>>
>> Maybe you meant package.el. You can send it to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>> or Tom (elpa AT tromey.com).
> 
> But I don't think there are _the_ release notes anyway. I mean there are
> no standard way for package authors for publishing release notes. My
> packages don't have any.

Maybe it would be nice to introduce a standard way for package.el to point to 
release notes?

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Rasmus]

>>>> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in
>>>> package-mode.
>>>
>>> Maybe you meant package.el. You can send it to bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org
>>> or Tom (elpa AT tromey.com).
>> 
>> But I don't think there are _the_ release notes anyway. I mean there are
>> no standard way for package authors for publishing release notes. My
>> packages don't have any.
>
> Maybe it would be nice to introduce a standard way for package.el to point to 
> release notes?

I often miss a URL to the origin (often a Github page) to read more
about the package.  Sometimes I have to go to MELPA or Marmelade to
find the url, but sometimes I can also just look in the commentary in
the beginning of the installed (main) file.

–Rasmus

-- 
May the Force be with you

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Tue, 21 May 2013 07:26:09 -0400 Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote: 

NB> Maybe it would be nice to introduce a standard way for package.el to point to 
NB> release notes?

How do you define "release notes"?  The VCS commit log may be more
useful than a text file, depending on the number and significance of the
changes and on the version difference (major vs. minor upgrade, etc.)

Ted

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Stefan Monnier]

> How do you define "release notes"?

A user-oriented description of change (as opposed to the commit
messages which are typically developper-oriented).
For example, compare Emacs's etc/NEWS and its ChangeLog.


        Stefan

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:30:49 -0400 Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote: 

>> How do you define "release notes"?

SM> A user-oriented description of change (as opposed to the commit
SM> messages which are typically developper-oriented).
SM> For example, compare Emacs's etc/NEWS and its ChangeLog.

So can we just say the file NEWS is the standard place for GNU ELPA
package release notes?

Ted

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Stefan Monnier]

>>> How do you define "release notes"?
SM> A user-oriented description of change (as opposed to the commit
SM> messages which are typically developper-oriented).
SM> For example, compare Emacs's etc/NEWS and its ChangeLog.
> So can we just say the file NEWS is the standard place for GNU ELPA
> package release notes?

We could, yes, for multi-file packages.  And for single-file packages,
we could use a ";;; News:" section.


        Stefan

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Tue, 04 Jun 2013 22:36:58 -0400 Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote: 

>>>> How do you define "release notes"?
SM> A user-oriented description of change (as opposed to the commit
SM> messages which are typically developper-oriented).
SM> For example, compare Emacs's etc/NEWS and its ChangeLog.
>> So can we just say the file NEWS is the standard place for GNU ELPA
>> package release notes?

SM> We could, yes, for multi-file packages.  And for single-file packages,
SM> we could use a ";;; News:" section.

OK, that makes implementing the feature much easier:

- display a NEWS file anywhere in the package (or top-level only), or
- display the ";;; News:" section, or
- offer the ChangeLog?  Fail gracefully?  Something else.

So coming back to the original request:

>> On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 9:54 PM, Neal Becker <ndbecker2@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I wish I could see the release notes when updating a package in
>>> package-mode.

Where in the update process should this happen?  Before (when marking),
during (in a log buffer), or after?

It seems best to give this information when marking which will also give
access to it from the package list in general.  During the update it's
too late to back out and log buffers are volatile.

Ted

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Stefan Monnier]

> Where in the update process should this happen?  Before (when marking),
> during (in a log buffer), or after?

Since this info is currently not in archive-contents, the easiest is to
do it after downloading the package.


        Stefan

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:24:21 -0400 Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote: 

>> Where in the update process should this happen?  Before (when marking),
>> during (in a log buffer), or after?

SM> Since this info is currently not in archive-contents, the easiest is to
SM> do it after downloading the package.

Why not make the command download the package if it's not downloaded,
then display the release notes if the download worked?

It seems important to be able to do this before the installation step.

Ted

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Stefan Monnier]

>>> Where in the update process should this happen?  Before (when marking),
>>> during (in a log buffer), or after?
SM> Since this info is currently not in archive-contents, the easiest is to
SM> do it after downloading the package.
> Why not make the command download the package if it's not downloaded,
> then display the release notes if the download worked?

Clearly, if it needs to be downloaded, then we ... hmm... need to
download it ;-)

> It seems important to be able to do this before the installation step.

download != installation (which is not equal to activation either, nor
to compilation).


        Stefan

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Ted Zlatanov]

On Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:16:05 -0400 Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote: 

>>>> Where in the update process should this happen?  Before (when marking),
>>>> during (in a log buffer), or after?
SM> Since this info is currently not in archive-contents, the easiest is to
SM> do it after downloading the package.
>> Why not make the command download the package if it's not downloaded,
>> then display the release notes if the download worked?

SM> Clearly, if it needs to be downloaded, then we ... hmm... need to
SM> download it ;-)

SM> download != installation (which is not equal to activation either, nor
SM> to compilation).

Right, I knew that :)  So this command will:

1) download the package if necessary
2) display the release notes according to the rules listed earlier in a
   help-buffer

...and it will have no interdependence with the installation process,
meaning that it will work with a package in any state.

Sounds good?
Ted

Re: package-mode, release notes?

[Stefan Monnier]

> 1) download the package if necessary
> 2) display the release notes according to the rules listed earlier in a
>    help-buffer

> ...and it will have no interdependence with the installation process,
> meaning that it will work with a package in any state.

> Sounds good?

Yes, sounds fine.  Bonus points for keeping track of package already
downloaded so we try and avoid downloading them again (e.g. if the
notes are consulted several times, or if we want to install the package
after consulting the notes, or if we want to consult the notes after
installing the package).


        Stefan