recommended "dependencies?"

[Mark Duling]

>> I don't think portfiles that don't represent concrete apps or libraries
>is
>> a good id, and I'm not aware that this has been done before. I would
>> think it would create as many problems as it would solve.
>
>fair enough, though i think the functionality is important, particularly 
>for selecting between x implementations. how do other port systems solve 
>the problem?

Mike,

I don't think I fully understood what it is you are trying to do with
variants because I didn't fully understand the example you gave earlier,
so my comments were limited.  I may not be one that would have an answer
anyway, and I'm sorry if I've lost track of the thread as I may have, but
could you restate what is is you'd like to do where an abstract portfile
is a possible solution?  I'd like to understand it more fully.

Mark