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GLEP: 34 |
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Title: Per-Category metadata.xml Files |
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Version: $Revision: 1.1 $ |
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Author: Ciaran McCreesh <ciaranm@gentoo.org> |
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Last-Modified: $Date: 2005/03/11 19:07:16 $ |
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Status: Draft |
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Type: Standards Track |
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Content-Type: text/x-rst |
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Created: 11-March-2005 |
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Post-Date: 11-March-2005, 13-March-2005 |
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|
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Abstract |
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======== |
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|
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A ``metadata.xml`` file [1]_ is currently used to provide extra metadata |
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(long descriptions, herd and maintainer information) about a package. It |
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is proposed that these files also be used to describe the purpose of a |
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category. |
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|
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Motivation |
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========== |
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|
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Category names are short and not entirely clear. Adding arbitrary length |
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long descriptions to categories would provide several advantages: |
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|
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* It would clarify the meaning of categories for users, who may not be |
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aware of some of the abbreviations or acronyms we use. |
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|
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* With the use of XML ``lang=""`` attributes, it would allow for |
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additional non-English descriptions (simply using longer category names |
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would not allow this). |
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|
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* It would help developers better select a relevant category for their |
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package, rather than dumping everything into ``sys-apps`` and |
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``app-misc`` as is done currently. |
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|
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* It would help illustrate which categories are too broad or badly defined |
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in scope, making any future category splits easier. |
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|
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Specification |
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============= |
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|
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It is proposed that the existing ``metadata.xml`` format [1]_ be used. |
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Even though XML sucks, there is already a framework in place for these |
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files. The filename will be ``blah-misc/metadata.xml``. The character set |
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used shall be UTF-8 for consistency with GLEP 31 [2]_. |
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|
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A new top level ``<catmetadata>`` element shall be added to the DTD. This |
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is necessary because the existing ``<pkgmetadata>`` element is not |
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appropriately named, and doing a global rename would be impractical. Using |
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a different element would also permit additional category-specific data to |
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be added at a later date. |
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|
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The existing ``<longdescription>`` elements shall be used for |
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descriptions. The ``lang`` attribute shall be used to indicate the human |
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language of the description -- all categories must have at least an |
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English (``en``) description. |
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|
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The ``<herd>`` and ``<maintainer>`` elements are not generally relevant at |
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the category level. They may be specified as a fall-back "assume that |
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everything in this category is maintained by these people", but this must |
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not be used as a replacement for proper per-package metadata. |
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|
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|
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Examples |
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-------- |
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|
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The ``app-vim`` category could use a ``metadata.xml`` file like the |
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following: :: |
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|
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> |
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<!DOCTYPE catmetadata SYSTEM "http://www.gentoo.org/dtd/metadata.dtd"> |
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<catmetadata> |
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<longdescription lang="en"> |
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The app-vim category contains plugins and syntax file |
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packages for the Vim text editor. |
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</longdescription> |
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<longdescription lang="de"> |
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Die Kategorie app-vim enthält Plugins und Syntax-Pakete |
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für den Vim Texteditor. |
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</longdescription> |
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</catmetadata> |
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|
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Implementation Requirements |
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--------------------------- |
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|
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The DTD file would need to be updated to include the ``<catmetadata>`` |
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element. |
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|
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A metadata file would have to be added to every category in the tree. This |
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could be done over a period of time. |
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|
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``repoman`` would need a few small changes to be able to handle |
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per-category metadata files. |
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|
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The "packages.gentoo.org metadata" bug [3]_ would need to be |
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updated to ask for category descriptions as well. |
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|
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The metadata documentation [1]_ would require some additions. |
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|
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Backwards Compatibility |
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======================= |
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|
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The metadata DTD will remain backwards compatible. |
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|
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The category metadata files will need to be considered "optional until |
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implemented" rather than immediately becoming mandatory. |
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|
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References |
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========== |
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|
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.. [1] Gentoo Metadata, |
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(http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/devrel/handbook/handbook.xml?part=2&chap=4) |
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.. [2] GLEP 31: Character Sets for Portage Tree Items |
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(http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/glep/glep-0031.html) |
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.. [3] Gentoo bug 66917 |
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(http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=66917) |
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|
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Copyright |
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========= |
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|
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This document has been placed in the public domain. |
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|
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.. vim: set tw=74 fileencoding=utf-8 : |
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