[MacPorts] #16336: Allow multiple ports to satisfy a single dependency

[MacPorts]

#16336: Allow multiple ports to satisfy a single dependency
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  Reporter:  rhwood at macports.org  |       Owner:  macports-tickets at lists.macosforge.org
      Type:  enhancement          |      Status:  new                                  
  Priority:  Normal               |   Milestone:  MacPorts base enhancements           
 Component:  base                 |     Version:  1.6.0                                
Resolution:                       |    Keywords:                                       
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Changes (by ryandesign at macports.org):

 * cc: ryandesign at macports.org (added)

Comment:

 What is the advantage to a "port:a|b|c" syntax? If all these ports provide
 the same thing, then "path:${prefix}/some/file:a" (where
 ${prefix}/some/file is a file provided by all three ports) is sufficient,
 isn't it? We already use this in many places. Anyway, it doesn't solve the
 problem that each port that depends on, say, a, needs to know that b and c
 would also work. Most port authors don't take the time to discover this,
 and also the list of acceptable ports might change over time. For example
 I might create a -devel port, but then don't really want to have to notify
 the authors of every port that uses my port to tell them to add the -devel
 port into their list.

 It would be better to do it the second way you suggest, with a "provides"
 syntax in the port.

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Ticket URL: <http://trac.macports.org/ticket/16336#comment:7>
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