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Diffstat (limited to 'debian/bash_completion/TODO')
-rw-r--r-- | debian/bash_completion/TODO | 55 |
1 files changed, 55 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/debian/bash_completion/TODO b/debian/bash_completion/TODO new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7e213dd --- /dev/null +++ b/debian/bash_completion/TODO @@ -0,0 +1,55 @@ +$Id: TODO,v 1.1 2006/03/01 16:19:26 ianmacd Exp $ + +bash completion needs to be rewritten from the ground up. +--------------------------------------------------------- + +bash completion really needs to be rewritten from the ground up, using all of +the features available in bash 3.1 and without regard for compatibility with +the 2.x line. + +At that time, it should be split into multiple files for easier source +management. Whether or not it is actually installed on the destination +computer as separate files is a matter for future debate. + +If it were installed as tens or even hundreds of files, each of which had to +be opened to decide whether it should be sourced in its entirety, that could +prove very expensive on some systems. + +Alternatively, a master file could decide which of the individual completion +files should be sourced. In that way, we wouldn't need to open extra files +just to ascertain that the commands for those functions aren't on the system, +anyway. + +A further alternative is that a build process be created, which would +concatenate the various files into a single completion file, similar to what +we have now. This option is my least favourite, because a system with a lot of +packages installed currently has to deal with sourcing over 200 kB of bash +code for each invocation of an interactive shell. + +An even better alternative would be if bash supported dynamic loading of shell +functions (in the manner of zsh), but I don't believe there are any plans to +add this feature. + + +bash completion needs a better development environment. +------------------------------------------------------- + +Currently, the bash completion project is managed by a single person: me. This +is how it has been since its inception back in the first half of 2000. + +This way of working is now showing signs of severe strain. For quite some time +already, I have been unable to devote enough time to the project and, as a +result, it has suffered. In particular, releases in the past twelve months +have been few and far between. The 20060301 release is the first in more than +six months. + +Whilst there have been good reasons for my inability to devote more time to +the project, it shouldn't actually matter whether or not I am available. For +that reason, I am going to look at transferring the project to public CVS some +time in 2006. Patches will then no longer find that I am a single point of +failure, but will instead find their way into the code base via a small team +of core developers. + +-- +Ian Macdonald +Amsterdam, March 2006 |