[fpc-pascal] Some features for FPC 3.0?

[Florian Klämpfl]

Am 17.02.2015 um 20:43 schrieb silvioprog:
> On Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 3:53 PM, Florian Klämpfl <florian at freepascal.org
> <mailto:florian at freepascal.org>> wrote:
> 
>     Am 17.02.2015 um 19:20 schrieb silvioprog:
>     >
>     > The problem is that FPC take a lot of time to release new versions. If there was a version (RCs)
>     > every six months it would help a lot.
> 
>     The point is: it takes a lot of time to prepare and test the releases and also to coordinate the
>     efforts.
> 
> 
> Yes. But I have a question: who does the tests? Only the FPC core and advanced programmers?! =/

It is not only doing a few clicks but testing includes also fixing obviously. It can be done by
everybody. Good start are the installer bug reports in the bug tracker.

> 
> My suggestion is to allow any programmer to test the new compiler features.

It is not about feature testing but installation testing on different OSes, regression testing on
different OSes etc. and fixing everything (!).

> If more people can test
> it, more chances to release a stable version.
>  
> 
>     > Today I'm 32 years old, and probably I'll see the FPC 3.0 be released when I'm 33 years old. FPC 4.0
>     > -> 40 years old. FPC 5.0 -> I will be already retired. =D
>     >
>     > Just suggestions. I follow other programmer tools, and they don't take much time to release new
>     > versions, and some of them have fewer programmers that FPC community. =/
> 
>     Which of them are multiplatform (~25) and do binary releases?
> 
> 
> Most of them (Nginx; Chrome; VirtualBox; SMPlayer; WGet; SmartGIT ...). 

I said ~25 platforms :) Not only a handfull plaforms released by big companies.

> I know that release a new
> version of a compiler is more complex than a common tool, but it take a long time to release a
> version of any tool, discourages who is following it.
> 
> My suggestion is just: to make easier to test, for any programmer. E.g:
> 
> - fpc-3.0.0-beta1/beta2 +/-jan/feb
> - fpc-3.0.0-RC1/RC2 +/-may/jun
> - fpc-3.0.0-RC3/fpc-3.0.0-stable +/-dec.
> 
> Yes, it is hard to do, but IMHO it is necessary.
> 

Throwing out broken release every two months is not helpfull. Two months is normally the time span
which is needed from the start of the preparation of a release to the final release.