Bug #85959 for Math-Random-ISAAC-XS: Math::Random::ISAAC dependency still showing recommended, not required

Hey David, On Fri Jun 07 17:22:12 2013, DAGOLDEN wrote: Show quoted text
The XS module is meant to be used independently of the Pure Perl implementation; that's why it just recommends Math::Random::ISAAC. I imagine other modules should (in theory) be requiring M::R::I and only recommending M::R::I::XS, right? (Otherwise you're explicitly precluding systems that don't have a compiler, for example)

On Fri, Jun 7, 2013 at 8:07 PM, Jonathan Yu via RT <bug-Math-Random-ISAAC-XS@rt.cpan.org> wrote: Show quoted text
Assuming you want people to use M::R::I->new and get either XS/PP, then I would think that M::R::I::XS should require M::R::I. Other modules can require M::R::I and recommend M::R::I::XS as you say. OTOH, if the goal is to mandate XS, then it should be enough to require it and get M::R::I along with it instead of having to require them both. But since M::R::I::XS can be used independently of M::R::I, I can see why you would let it stand alone. I suppose I can just code around this peculiar way of doing the dependency if you really want it that way. David -- David Golden <dagolden@cpan.org> Take back your inbox! → http://www.bunchmail.com/ Twitter/IRC: @xdg

Show quoted text
TIMTOWTDI, of course. :-) Generally, what I see is a 'front-end' module that includes the PP 'backend' and that will transparently use the XS 'backend' if installed. (As Math::Random::ISAAC does.) The question is really what requires/recommends what? E.g. * Class::Load::XS -- requires Class::Load; Class::Load recommends nothing * Package::Stash::XS -- requires nothing (and recommends nothing), but Package::Stash recommends Package::Stash::XS In the Class::Load::XS case, it requires Class::Load because it expects you to use that as the front-end. The back-end is useless without it. In the Package::Stash::XS case, it still expects you to use Package::Stash as the front-end, but doesn't list it as a dependency. (You're expected to do that yourself.) Instead, Package::Stash recommends the XS version. Why one approach vs the other? To me, the advantage of the Class::Load::XS requiring the front-end is that it avoids having to specify both as a prerequisite if you really insist on needing the XS version. On the other hand, if you're using recommends then it makes more sense to have the front-end recommend a faster backend, but leave the back-end requiring/recommending nothing (to avoid circular dependencies). [aside: there's been discussion of a need for a "soft recommends" that wouldn't imply circularity, but no one has implemented that yet in the toolchain.] What Math::Random::ISAAC and ::XS appear to be doing is each recommending the other, which is weird and circular. On reflection, I would suggest adopting the Package::Stash/XS approach. Your front-end should recommend the faster back end. Since Math::Random::ISAAC::XS can work completely stand-alone, it doesn't actually require Math::Random::ISAAC and should neither recommend it or require it. (It should be listed in SEE ALSO, of course.) So I'm changing my ticket request -- please just drop the recommends. :-) I suspect my CPAN client was getting confused by the circularity and I initially misunderstood what was going on. Regards, David -- David Golden <dagolden@cpan.org> Take back your inbox! → http://www.bunchmail.com/ Twitter/IRC: @xdg