[infrastructure] Re: [development] Drupal 4.5 unsupported

[Gildas Cotomale]

2006/5/30, Peter Kowalke <peter2005 at kowalke.info>:
>
> Some OSS projects are healthy and business friendly. Why can't Drupal be one
> of theme? The best technical products don't usually win in the end--the
> winners are the best technical products that ALSO cater to businesses and
> laymen. How can Drupal thrive and grow like a mySQL or a Linux or a PHP?
> Technical innovation is part of the answer, but not all of it.
>
>From my point of view, Drupal is healthy and business friendly (it is
for mine).

> Amen to a clearly labeled and easy to use archive where those too poor, too
> stupid, too contented or too technically shaky can continue to use their old
> Drupal installations. Let the community march on, but without burning or
> hiding what came before.
>
> I'd like to see a http://archive.drupal.org/ for anything 4.5 and below.
>
Why not ? I have to agree that many non-techie persons are afraid of
CSV or SVN despite the existance of easy good..

> If Drupal is going to press ever onward with technical innovation, which it
> should, it needs more than just a well-marked archive. From a business
> mindset it needs:
>
> 1) A really easy upgrade path. Maybe an auto-update feature--although I know
> that gets sticky really fast given homemade modules...there would need to be
> a lot of thought on how to do it sanely.
>
Upgrading will be easier in the future (install file for modules and
own directories, etc) But again, it can't be backported to older
versions :(

> 2) If not an unchanging API, then an API abstraction layer of some kind.

That's the way of the new FormAPI and that's why it break compatibily
so... But from now (4.7), it's easier for modules makers to build a
form and it can no longer break even if fonctionalities are added..
There's also a debate now about abstracting the DB. Of course it won't
be as complete as pearDB, but it would face most cases without
performance loose.

> Wouldn't it be great if a 4.5 user could install an API-engine of sorts that
> would allow him to run 4.5 modules and stuff on a newer install? Definitely
> there would be a performance hit when the 4.5 mods were used, but someone
> who absolutely needed an old mod or whatever could do it. Microsoft caters
> too much to legacy code, and we all know how bad that has been. Apple
> changed too often, hurting business, but then the tech got better and they
> wised up--people now can emulate their old software on a Mac if they're
> willing to take a performance hit. This is where Drupal should go if
> technically possible--and hey, this is a way that legacy support BECOMES a
> technical innovation. If an API-engine concept was developed, Drupal
> probably would have my heart for life.  :-)
>
LOL
An PHP web based app cannot be compared to an native (binary) OS app.
Drupal is not serlets, sorry.