On Tuesday 16 May 2006 00:46, Dries Buytaert wrote:
If you think you can help them mature in a clean and consistent manner, that is great. But, the focus should be to clean up APIs, not to freeze them. In pratice, a good API might eventually freeze itself.
Just as important, I think, is that a good API is extensible. You can add features without breaking the old ones. I think the new Form API is a decent example here. We can add new types of elements without breaking existing ones. We can refactor where they are added without breaking them. We can add automatic regular expression validation to fields without breaking old code. A forward-looking design is just as important if not moreso than a non-changing design. Honestly, though, most of the 4.6 -> 4.7 changes didn't seem that drastic. Form API was the only one that seemed like it took a long time to do. Was I just not dealing with any of the really complicated stuff? :-) -- Larry Garfield AIM: LOLG42 larry@garfieldtech.com ICQ: 6817012 "If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it." -- Thomas Jefferson