[dmd-beta] dmd 1.062 and 2.047 beta

[Steve Schveighoffer]

----- Original Message ----
> From: Don Clugston <dclugston at googlemail.com>


> OK, now I see where you're coming from in. In that case, the 
> compiler
> is part of the environment, and you really need to know it. Tango 
> is
> trying to work with multiple compiler versions. Phobos doesn't 
> have
> that problem, since you always know that the compiler and library 
> are
> matched.

I'll give you a scenario.  I develop some component of phobos, lets say the networking part.  My code existed since 2.047, and hasn't changed.  Someone reports an error in the networking code, something that seems to occur only when you use the networking code in a certain way, and only on 2.050-2.055.  We are now on 2.060, and I can't reproduce it.  This is not unheard of.  As coupled as the compiler and the phobos code is, *user code* works across many versions of the compiler/phobos, and bugs can show up in strange ways.

I'm not saying that we have to test for dmd/phobos combinations that are not released, I'm saying sometimes software fails with seemingly unrelated changes and if you don't know what to use in order to reproduce it, fixing it gets very difficult.

Also, I don't see how the information hurts.  Just ignore it if you don't care what version was reported.

What does hurt however, is asking a question to a reporter "what version are you using" and then not allowing them to give an accurate answer.

-Steve