Subject: Re: [PATCH 8/9] gitweb: Convert output to using indirect file handle

From: Jakub Narebski <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:48:14 +0100

On Mon, 25 Jan 2010, J.H. wrote:

> > So there is a bit of rule of preservation of difficulty at work.  Either
> > we have large patch adding explicit filehandle to all print statements
> > 'print <sth> -> print $out <sth>' but simple code, or have smaller patch
> > but complicated *STDOUT manipulation, or have small patch but rely on 
> > non-core CPAN modules present.
> 
> I think depending in non-core CPAN modules is a really bad idea, and
> will cause some concern and consternation with mainline distributions,
> besides making it more complicated for users to get this up and running
> quickly and easily.  

Note: the modules in question are Capture::Tiny or PerlIO::Util.
Capture::Tiny is available as perl-Capture-Tiny RPM module for Fedora Core
up from FC11 and in DAG repository, at least. 

First, installing non-core CPAN modules locally for user is very simple
thanks to local::lib.  After setup it is simply 'cpan -i PerlIO::Util',
and PerlIO::Util gets installed locally, by default inside ~/perl5.

Second, we can go the route that Git.pm did, namely include sources for
extra modules (private-Error.pm in case of Git.pm) and install it if 
needed.  With proper build system (Module::Install, Module::Build) it is
even simpler with inc or inc::latest.  And there is always PAR[1] if you
want to have everything in one file.

[1]: http://par.perl.org

>                     While I agree there are other ways of handling this 
> I think just adding the filehandle to the print statements provides the
> easiest cross section of usability and functionality for everything
> involved.

Well, manipulating *STDOUT shouldn't be, I think, much harder, although
I guess it would need more care (so that e.g. "Generating..." page gets
written to real STDOUT).

-- 
Jakub Narebski
Poland