[packagekit] filters usage in get-depends / get-requires and install-packages (was: get-depends and get-requires probably shouldn't use an array of package_ids)

[Richard Hughes]

2009/7/10 Mounir Lamouri <mounir.lamouri at gmail.com>:
> So you are saying if I use filter=installed;~free;newest, showed
> packages should be only installed, non-free and newest. If they are
> not, they are not shown ? Seems weird to me.

Filters were always designed to reduce the number of returned
packages, rather than change the behaviour of how the results are
generated.

> But, newest is to see only newest depends ?

GetDepends(a,b)

If a depends on c >= 0.34 and b depends on c >= 0.60 then with newest
we should only show c 0.60

> I think there are two possible behaviours: newest will show only
> nevest packages from the list or it will force the function to get
> newest ones.

The former.

> Let me explain myself:
> foo needs, a >= 1.0 and b >= 2.0
> I have a-1.1 and b-2.0 installed and a-1.5 is available (but not installed)
> With newest enabled, we can consider two behaviour:
> - a-1.0 and b-2.0 is generated and a-1.0 is filtered
> - a-1.1 and b-2.0 is generated and showed because newest have forced a
> to be updated

The former.

> I even think it's very bad for the user. If I have filter=free;newest
> and because of that, when I want to install foo package it is only
> showing half of packages that are going to be installed, I think it's
> confusing...

Well, this is why installing multiple versions of things is often a
bad idea from a usability point of view. FWIW, I don't think any of
the GUI users of the GetDepends() function use newest at the moment.

Richard.