Re: [docbook] Re: Policy on backwards incompatible changes

[Justus-bulk@Piater.name]

Are backwards-incompatible changes really that destructive? Nobody
forces anyone to upgrade their documents. One can easily install
multiple versions of DocBook schemas in parallel. In contrast,
maintaining multiple versions of stylesheets (to customize) is a pain.

It seems to me that the real issue, rather than incompatible schema
changes, concerns long-term support commitments to docbook constructs
in the stylesheets.

Thus, allow DocBook to move along at a reasonable pace, but commit to
supporting DocBook constructs in the stylesheets for some time after
they are phased out or changed.

(However, this may occasionally require explicit triggering of
old-style behavior through stylesheet parameters etc...)

Justus


Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com> wrote on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:52:07
-0400:

> ... there are established organizations with huge amounts of legacy
> DocBook content that don't move at internet speed. It would be rude,
> to say the least, if we moved so fast that they didn't have an
> opportunity to upgrade in an organized manner.