[DebianGIS-dev] Bug#537414: Bug#537414: please default to 1.8 interface for hdf5-1.8.x

[Francesco P. Lovergine]

On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 03:37:07PM +0200, Juha Jäykkä wrote:
> Hi!
> 
> This is still present in 1.8.3-2.1 and the fix is simply to remove the line
> 
> #define H5_USE_16_API_DEFAULT 1
> 
> from /usr/include/H5pubconf.h, Or surround it with
> 
> #if !defined(H5_I_REALLY_DO_NOT_WANT_OLD_API)
> #define H5_USE_16_API_DEFAULT 1
> #endif
> 
> This would give those users who, like me, have software written for 1.8 API, 
> the possibility to compile it without altering the code. My example is the 
> SAMRAI library, which is smart enough to support both 1.6 and 1.8, by 
> #ifdefing stuff like this:
> 
> #if (H5_VERS_MAJOR>1) || ((H5_VERS_MAJOR==1)&&(H5_VERS_MINOR > 6))
> 
> But it trusts 1.8 library to use 1.8 API! Or at least that there would be a 
> way to make it use 1.8 syntax without altering the code or libhdf5's headers.
> 
> I would also suggest bumping up the severity: this breaks unrelated software, 
> albeit none from Debian that I am aware, so I am not sure what would be 
> appropriate.
> 
> -Juha
> 

the compatibility mode is there for a reason: to allow old code being
safely used without changes. If your code use the new api should also be able
to use the 1.8 api explicitly and not rely upon the 1.8/1.6 choice
done by third parties. If not, it needs to be fixed because
over-simplified in its approach.

-- 
Francesco P. Lovergine