[MacPorts] #16830: RFE: Have only one perl5 package

[MacPorts]

#16830: RFE: Have only one perl5 package
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  Reporter:  mcalhoun at macports.org  |       Owner:  mcalhoun at macports.org
      Type:  enhancement            |      Status:  assigned             
  Priority:  Normal                 |   Milestone:  Port Enhancements    
 Component:  ports                  |     Version:  1.6.0                
Resolution:                         |    Keywords:                       
      Port:                         |  
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Comment(by mcalhoun at macports.org):

 Thanks for the autoconf fix.[[BR]]
 I did not know the correct use of path dependency.[[BR]]
 The incorrect form seems to be in other ports as well (including
 perl5-1.0.tcl).

 Previously, I had not gotton any objections to the strategy in comment 5
 (http://trac.macports.org/ticket/16830#comment:5). [[BR]]
 I was in the midst of implementing it.[[BR]]
 If this is not a good idea, I can change course.

 The basic strategy is:
   * have perl5 be the main perl port.
   * have perl5.8 and perl5.10 still exist but only for specialized needs.
 In the long term, I think that this a reasonable strategy because after
 the initial pain, it will be easy to maintain without[[BR]]
 perl_select, smylinks, or a plethora of p5- ports.

 I fooled around with having perl5-1.0.tcl have +perl5, perl5.8, and
 +perl5.10 variants.[[BR]]
 Perhaps it is my Tcl skills, but it was a difficult task (even with the
 python example).[[BR]]
 In the end, it was ugly and didn't work with any p5- port which made use
 of ${perl5.lib} (e.g. p5-xml-sax).

 To the objection that perl5.8 and perl5 are basically the same:[[BR]]
 Upon the next MacPorts version release, perl5-1.0.tcl will be modified so
 that it no longer depends on perl5.8.[[BR]]
 At that point perl5.8 could install to a different location just in case a
 user needs 5.8 (perl5 will eventually upgrade 5.10).

 To the objection that perl5.10 should be used:[[BR]]
 I was trying to make the transition from perl5.8 to perl5 as painless as
 possible.[[BR]]
 At least one p5-* port breaks with perl5.10.[[BR]]
 I did not know that Debian was using perl5.10, but Gentoo is still using
 5.8.8.[[BR]]
 I don't think it's a bad idea for perl5 to be the maintenance release,
 which is still 5.8.8.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://trac.macports.org/ticket/16830#comment:23>
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