dub: should we make it the de jure package manager for D?

[Bruno Medeiros]

On 26/09/2013 07:59, Jacob Carlborg wrote:
> On 2013-09-25 18:14, Bruno Medeiros wrote:
>
>> But this is all for development-time usage. To have the same tool try to
>> be an executable installation manager is another thing entirely and, in
>> my opinion quite ill-suited for dub (see related OP). Where did this
>> idea even come from??
>
> If dub doesn't install packages, why the h*ll should I use it in the
> first place? I can just use the system package manager.
>

Are... you... serious?... O_O

There are incredibly important benefits for development-time usage.
To automatically fetch the required dependencies, making sure they are 
correct for you application. Easily upgrade the version of dependencies? 
Support multiple build configurations (including for example unittest 
runners)? Supporting all the previous functionality in a way that is 
replicable across different machines? Have other tools such as IDEs 
understand the source and build structure of your 
application/project/library??

System package managers don't support this because they are not 
cross-platform. Even if cross-platform wasn't an issue, there might 
still be several shortcomings or inadequacies with OS package managers 
because they are more often geared torwards end-user installation, not 
development-time usage.

-- 
Bruno Medeiros - Software Engineer