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All the Perl that's Practical to Extract and Report

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"What's the version number got to do with anything?" 6 Comments More | Login | Reply /

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  • Changes (Score:1)

    by slanning (5049) on 2006.05.23 12:16 (#47809) Homepage Journal

    I prefer to look at the Changes log, rather than the version. A decent Changes log will tell you how the project has evolved and give you an indication of its stability. I've dismissed several modules based on their Changes logs. Small versions don't bother me so much, if the author has simply incremented by 0.01 each time they released to CPAN. Even jumps in versions don't annoy me, as long as there's a clear, consistent reason behind it (for example API changes). I'm particularly annoyed, however, when version numbers are artificially inflated with no apparent good reason. I won't mention names, but web app frameworks seem to tend to have this problem!

    • I think you missed the point. The programmers aren't complaining.

      when you have people having to get modules approved for use, there are people that care about versions.

      It is the $boss, who hasn't a clue about Perl (he would write it as PERL), who is looking at version numbers.

      • Indeed.

        And zero-versions can make $bosses nervous.

        Of course, you have to balance that against the problem of going to 1 too early and scaring the developers.

        If 1.0 isn't stable, and lets assume they are fairly clueless just-getting-stuff-done Perl-as-a-better-sh etc types, how are they to judge when it is done?

        Looking at, for example, Module::Install, the Changes file won't help them much to know that out of all the versions, 0.61 is the first version considered "safe'ish for early adopters".

        Or look at Clas
      • So we should base our actions on what unthinking idiots are doing? No thanks.

        • Yes, it's important to help prop up companies where the ultimate technical authority is in people who have no business making technical decisions because... aw hey, I can't finish this sentence with a straight face.

        • Just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong.

          You are giving away software, at the core it's an altruistic activity.

          Giving away functionality and then getting elitist about how it gets used is one of the things that people really hate about Open Source.
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