[Debtags-devel] Data and Role restructuring proposal

Erich Schubert Erich Schubert <erich.schubert@gmail.com>
Sun, 12 Jun 2005 22:54:33 -0700


Hi Enrico, hello list.
I agree mostly, but...

> Let's see what the resulting set will be:
>=20
>    role::applet      - Applets and Dockapps
>    role::client      - Client application
>    role::data        - Application-specific data
>    role::devel-lib   - Development library
>    role::dictionary  - Dictionary
>    role::doc         - Documentation
>    role::driver      - Hardware driver
>    role::dummy       - Dummy package used for upgrades
>    role::font        - Font
>    role::fortune     - Fortune quotations
>    role::icons       - Icons
>    role::metapackage - Dependency metapackage
>    role::server      - Server
>    role::shlib       - Shared library
>    role::text        - Books and text documents
>    role::theme       - Themes
>    role::userdoc     - User Documentation
>    role::utility     - Utilities

What is the role of openoffice? I wouldn't call it a utility. And it's
not a client either.
Similar for many games etc. - so we are still missing something here.
Basically, each package should have a role.

> It might even make sense to do a bit of grouping here for clarity:

Oh, grouping. Hierarchies! Jehova! Jehova!

>    role::sw-applet           - (Software) Applets and Dockapps
>    role::content-dictionary  - (Content) Dictionary
>    role::aux-data            - (Auxiliary) Application-specific data

Why not use role::sw::applet, role::content::dictionary etc. and add
the option to select a whole "group"? Sometimes you don't really care
which kind of software it is, which kind of content...

> It's hard however to say that themes are software or not (GTK themes at
> least have engines inside that are software performing the rendering),

Probably more something like extensions or applets...

> and documentation is not necessarily content only (think of interactive
> documentation such as an expert system).

You could give both tags, if that would be allowed by the facet rules.
But there are many cases where this rule is to be broken...
(think of a package containing both a command line tool and a
graphical tool, it needs two user interface tags)

> If everyone is happy I could try making this change and then we can all
> see what comes out.  In the worst case, I roll it back.

Just go ahead, I don't see any downsides.

best regards,
Erich Schubert
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