Ports recommending other ports

[Ryan Schmidt]

On Feb 9, 2009, at 06:10, Rainer Müller wrote:

> Ryan Schmidt wrote:
>> It might be nice if a port could recommend the user install another
>> port in addition, via some new keyword. For example, graphviz could
>> recommend the user install graphviz-gui as well. postgresql83 could
>> recommend the user install postgresql83-server. port could output
>> these recommendations at the end of the installation. ("You may wish
>> to install graphviz-gui as well.") The advantage over just printing a
>> message at post-install time would be that port or a MacPorts GUI
>> could offer the user the choice to install those recommended ports
>> too ("Would you like to install graphviz-gui now?") and could know to
>> omit the suggestion if the suggested port is already installed.
>
> This could become a useful future addition, as currently all port
> commands are non-interactive.
>
>> There could be another new keyword for recommended alternatives to a
>> given port. For example, on Leopard and later, graphviz-gui is a
>> better choice than graphviz-oldgui (which is required on Tiger and
>> earlier). ("You may wish to install graphviz-gui instead of graphviz-
>> oldgui.")
>
> While I like the recommends feature, I don't think alternatives are  
> that
> good proposed. If they recommend alternatives for the current port one
> should see them before installing this port at all. For example at the
> 'port info' output and then we can simply write such a sentence  
> into the
> long_description. After installing a port it is too late to inform  
> about
> alternatives.

Oh yes, I would want it shown in "port info" too.

I'm just thinking a user may decide they need a port and they'll  
install it without ever consulting "port info", so if that's the only  
place the alternatives are shown then they'd never know. If we show  
it during installation, they still have a chance to ^C the  
installation and pick the other port.

The way I envision a MacPorts GUI, it would have a queue of tasks to  
be done, so while port is busy installing one port, it can display a  
message to the user asking if they would like to queue the  
installation of some additional recommended port. The user can then  
think about that question while the computer is busy with the first  
installation.


>> Hypothetical addition to port graphviz:
>>
>> if {${os.platform} == "darwin"} {
>>      if {${os.major} >= 9} {
>>          suggest_supplements-append port:graphviz-gui
>>      } else {
>>          suggest_supplements-append port:graphviz-oldgui
>>      }
>> }
>>
>> Hypothetical additions to port graphviz-oldgui:
>>
>> if {${os.major} >= 9} {
>>      suggest_alternatives-append port:graphviz-gui
>> }
>>
>> (I used "suggest" instead of "recommend" in the keyword names because
>> people have more trouble spelling "recommend".)
>
> If people have problems spelling "recommend", they will probably also
> have problems with "supplements"?

No kidding. Got any better ideas?