[Zope-Coders] Re: [Zope-Checkins] CVS: Zope/utilities - testrunner.py:1.28.20.1

[Shane Hathaway]

Andreas Jung wrote:
> 
> 
> --On Dienstag, 19. November 2002 12:27 -0500 Shane Hathaway 
> <shane@zope.com> wrote:
> 
>> Andreas Jung wrote:
>>
>>> The integration of reST into Zope with support inside ZPT, PyScripts
>>> and DTML makes it necessary to make it part of Zope. I think the
>>> integration is a good thing (there were only +1 votes). A standalone
>>> product would require monkeypatching and that sux like hell;-)
>>
>>
>> As far as I know, you only have to integrate into the Python script
>> standard namespace, making it accessible everywhere.  That wouldn't be a
>> monkey patch.
>>
>> The integration is good, but if you depend on the Zope release schedule,
>> you have to wait for the Zope release schedule.  I believe you'll be able
>> to improve your product much faster if you disentangle it from the Zope
>> schedule.
> 
> 
> I don't know exactly what your point is. The integration consists
> of the docutils package and a very tiny wrapper that makes a HTML()
> available (similiar to STXNG). It also extends the formatters
> in DT_Var.py and makes the restrcutred_text() method available
> in the standard namespace. So there is no real difference between
> the integration of STXNG and reST. Since there is no additional
> work to be done on the integration I do not depend on a special Zope
> version or special features. I don't except any major improvments
> in the integration of reST except syncing the docutils package with
> the current docutils version from time to time.

The point is that you'd be able to release your ReST integration now, 
instead of in 6 months or whenever Zope 2.7 comes out, you'd be able to 
release a new version when docutils gets updated, and you'd enable users 
of Zope 2.6 to use it.  You wouldn't have to do giant branch merges 
(which are frowned upon because CVS generates lots of unnecessary emails).

Also, you can't be sure your changes will be accepted into Zope.  I've 
made changes on branches myself that were rejected, and so have other 
contributors. (Even Jim!)  If you instead make a product, end users get 
the decision of whether to include it.  They even get to decide what 
version.  If your product gets accepted, it's a mere symlink in the CVS 
repository to make it a core Zope product.  You can't lose. :-)

I'm just trying to save you some work.  Feel free to reject my advice, 
but it's based on experience.

Shane