variants vs separate ports

[Daniel J. Luke]

On May 24, 2010, at 2:30 PM, Ryan Schmidt wrote:
>> 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.
> 
> Because we are talking about a choice between three mutually-exclusive options, three settings: q8, q16, and q32. In a GUI, these would be represented as radio buttons.

These aren't in a GUI - they're in a portfile.

> It makes no sense to me that two of these options should be implemented as variants and one of them would not be.

Except that it makes the port cleaner and simpler ... and is closer to the intention of variants (you have one 'normal' build of the port that has the default features and variants for things that are unusual).

--
Daniel J. Luke                                                                   
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