[FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] Rename APIchange to InterfaceChangelog

[Stefano Sabatini]

On date Tuesday 2009-06-23 20:42:23 -0300, Ramiro Polla encoded:
> On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 8:00 PM, Stefano
> Sabatini<stefano.sabatini-lala at poste.it> wrote:
> > On date Tuesday 2009-06-23 01:11:08 +0200, Diego Biurrun encoded:
> >> On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 12:30:52AM +0200, Stefano Sabatini wrote:
> >> > On date Monday 2009-06-22 07:29:50 +0200, Reinhard Tartler encoded:
> >> > > M?ns Rullg?rd <mans at mansr.com> writes:
> >> > >
> >> > > >> This is both cleaner and less confusing.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > No objections from me. ?This will of course break configure-invoking
> >> > > > scripts, so users with such scripts may be displeased. ?Any such users
> >> > > > care to comment?
> >> > >
> >> > > Please document that change in Changelog or some more appropriate
> >> > > place. doc/APIchanges might not just fit here. Probably it should also
> >> > > go in the release notes of the next release.
> >> >
> >> > Well we could add something like this in the Changelog:
> >> >
> >> > - make configure select the input/output devices using
> >> > ? --enable-{in,out}dev/--disable-{in,out}dev
> >> >
> >> > otherwise we could rename 'APIChanges' -> 'InterfaceChanges' and fill
> >> > it not only with the API changes, but also with the
> >> > configuration/build and ff* tools interface changes (or alternatively
> >> > we could have a separated file for that, but that looks overkill).
> >> >
> >> > I have a slight preference for the last proposal, after all the
> >> > Changelog is more used for enumerating the features added/dropped
> >> > rather than the interface changes.
> >>
> >> Seconded, our changelog is rather sparse..
> >
> > So it is OK to do as proposed in the subject?
> >
> > This proposal will assume two distinct files for documenting the
> > project changes:
> >
> > * Changelog: document the new *features* introduced/removed, i.e. new
> > ?format/libraries added/dropped
> >
> > * doc/InterfaceChangelog: document the *interface* changes introduced,
> > ?that is both API changes and configuration/build and ff* tools
> > ?interface changes.
> 
> I'd prefer keeping a file specific to API changes. I can't offer a
> better solution atm though...

Another (imo better) solution would be to put all the build system/ff*
tools interface changes in Changelog, that would mean also to adopt a
format similar to that of doc/APIchanges, providing the revision
number/date for each change.

For example we could start to fill the entries like this, e.g.:

version <next>:

- r19XXX - make configure select the input/output devices using
  --{enable|disable}-{in,out}dev rather than
  --{enable|disable}-{demuxer|muxer} as before

- PB-frame decoding for H.263
- deprecated vhook subsystem removed
...

That would be greatly useful for people needing to update ff* tools
based scripts (and add another bit of boredom to devs...).

> > BTW where we're at it we could also move Changelog to doc/Changelog.

Anyway I also suggest to put the changelog files togheter in the same
dir (. or doc?), and rename APIchanges -> APIChangelog for consistency
with the other file.

Regards.
-- 
FFmpeg = Fostering and Faboulous Mortal Philosofic Elastic Governor