Re: [patch] Deprecate XM_FILE and TM_FILE

[Joel Brobecker <brobecker at gnat dot com>]

> I've split this patch in two and committed just the TM_FILE stuff.  As 
> for the XM_FILE changes (and those 3 definitions), consider that tabled.

It seems to me that the whole discussion between Eli and yourself has
been beaten to death. We're basically stuck in a disagrement where both
point of views have their merit.

I think it's time all global maintainers get involved in this discussion
and make a decision. Once the decision is taken, it needs to be
documented (gdb.texinfo for instance) so that people can refer to it.

As a developper, I personally dislike to have to check the ARI everytime
I use anything in GDB for fear of using something deprecated. So marking
each instance as explicitly deprecated directly in the code is a good
move. Two questions were asked and need to be answered. I am adding my
proposed answers, as a starting point for your discussion:

  1. When can some code be declared deprecated?

     IMO, some code should be declared deprecated when it has been
     recognized that it should no longer be used in new changes.
     It means that some code can be identified as deprecated before
     a replacement has been implemented.

     There is a judgement call to make, obviously, as we don't want to
     deprecate a central piece of GDB that makes it impossible for
     somebody to submit a new port for instance without doing man-years
     of work required to implement an alternate to the deprecated
     feature.

  2. How to identify deprecated code?

     Deprecated code should be explicitly marked as such directly
     in the code, to avoid any accidental future usage, by prepending
     "depreated_" to the entity names.
     
     Deprecated code can only be removed when no longer used. There can
     be no time limit imposed between the time some code is deprecated,
     and the time when it is removed.

     (the alternate solution suggested by Eli is the ARI)

You should decide how the discussion will be held (privately or on
gdb-patches?), and whether it should include the steering committee
or not.

Happy discussion.

-- 
Joel