API freeze timeline (was: [gst-devel] caps/caps2)

[Benjamin Otte]

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003, David Schleef wrote:
>
> The scope of the API freeze is basically anything in gstreamer
> or gst-plugins that installs headers into include/gst/.  I am
> defining "API freeze" such that you may continue to _add_
> functions (within reason), but removing or changing functions is
> not allowed.  I'm hoping this is the same definition that GNOME
> uses.
>
There is unfortunately quite some stuff that needs testing before we can
agree on an API. The problem with lots of code is that noone has ever used
it, so noone knows if the APIs make sense.
URI handling and tagging stuff are offenders in the core there.
The interfaces and superclasses are offenders in the plugins.
So I'm not sure we can be done there until Rb and gst-player impelement
that stuff.

>  - change GST_OBJECT_PADDING (etc.) to actual unused fields (ds)
>    - GtkDoc doesn't really like 'GST_OBJECT_PADDING'
>
Can't this be fixed by adding the magic /*< private >*/ comment?

> Also, I've marked a few bugs by adding "[API]" to the summary.
> These bugs may require API changes to resolve.  Please look at
> the bug list and mark any more that you feel are relevant.  I'd
> like to at least come to some consensus on each bug about what
> we're going to do -- e.g., drop it until post-0.8, resolve the
> bug in an API-compatible way, etc.
>
Will do tomorrow I hope.

> So, for a proposed timeline (the dates are deadlines):
>
>  Monday, 8 December -
>   - identify and have a plan of action for any potential API changes.
>     (i.e., the list above)  The key part is having the plan of action
>     written down.
>   - merge CAPS branch
>   - 0.7.3 release
>   - Most API frozen.  Areas of exception will be listed in an email to
>     this list.
>
>  Monday, 15 December -
>   - status report on the list of pending API changes.
>
>  Monday, 22 December -
>   - status report on the list of pending API changes.  Hopefully, the
>     list will be empty.
>   - 0.7.4 release
>   - API and ABI frozen.  After this point, we do careful library
>     versioning.
>
I think it is doable though it is probably timed bad. I've got a lot more
time during the holidays that start exactly after the freeze point. I
think there might be quite some other people with increased hacking
activity during the holidays.

> (Does anyone know if we're supposed to bump the library version to
> 0.8 at the time of the ABI freeze?)
>
IMO we should have never had -0.7 files. So yes, we need to definitely
bump the version number to 0.8 or apps using gst need to change there
configure script when we decide to name it 0.8, which is not API
compatible.


> Comments?
I'm demotivated atm, which is bad.


Benjamin