Re: package-vc support for :files keyword

[Adam Porter <adam@alphapapa.net>]

Hi Philip,

On 9/19/23 03:37, Philip Kaludercic wrote:

>> Please note out that while `taxy' and `taxy-magit-section' are both
>> developed in "taxy.el.git", they are in separate branches, so there is
>> no need to build the two packages from a single set of files by
>> excluding some files and then the others.
> 
> Oops, I just wrote a quick script that compared URLs but did not check
> what :branch they are developed on.
> 
>> I've chosen to keep these packages in the same repo because they are
>> so closely related.  I'd like to be able to keep this arrangement.
> 
> That is totally fine, would you mind sharing your setup, in case someone
> else is interested in this approach as well?

I'm not sure what you're asking for, but I'll be glad to share.  All I 
did was create an orphan branch in the same repository and add the 
"taxy-magit-section.el" and associated files there, as if it were a 
separate repo.

>> Having said that, while I wouldn't personally object to dropping
>> support for building multiple packages from a single branch (since I
>> don't do it myself), I wouldn't favor doing so, because existing
>> packages do, and it would create more work for the authors to have to
>> split them up.
> 
> That is the issue, and I certainly don't want to be the one to blame for
> breakage, be it for package developers let alone users.
> 
>> Maybe it would be reasonable to make a new policy against building
>> multiple packages from a single branch, while "grandfathering" in the
>> existing packages that do so, if it would solve a problem for ELPA.
> 
> What do you mean by "grandfathering"?

It's an expression; in this context, it would mean to allow the packages 
that already work this way to continue doing so, while requiring newly 
submitted packages to only build one package per branch (or repo, 
depending on the policy).