variants vs separate ports

[Daniel J. Luke]

On May 24, 2010, at 1:30 PM, Ryan Schmidt wrote:
> GraphicsMagick uses:
> 
> if {![variant_isset q16] && ![variant_isset q32]} {
>    default_variants +q8
> }
> 
> This ensures that if the user does not specify +q8, +q16 or +q32, it selects +q8. 
> 
> The one thing this does not handle is if the user specifically tries to install "GraphicsMagick -q8"; in this case no variant will be selected. I've never been entirely comfortable with that. Perhaps we should indeed be using variant_set instead:
> 
> if {![variant_isset q16] && ![variant_isset q32]} {
>    variant_set q8
> }
> 
> I'm not certain why we haven't been doing that.

I still don't understand why you set up some of your ports this way instead of the more straightforward method (have the +q8 configure args in the default configure args, and have the variants just remove the +q8 stuff and add their appropriate args).

To me, Portfiles are always clearer if they can avoid using variant_isset.

--
Daniel J. Luke                                                                   
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