[fpc-pascal] Namespaces Support

[Michael Van Canneyt]

On Fri, 25 Oct 2013, Tomas Hajny wrote:

> On Fri, October 25, 2013 10:51, Michael Van Canneyt wrote:
>> On Fri, 25 Oct 2013, Marco van de Voort wrote:
>>> In our previous episode, Michael Van Canneyt said:
>>>>> Delphi uses winapi, not windows.
>>>>>
>>>>> And I see no need. There is so much code in use that assumes the
>>>>> standard
>>>>> names, and I don't see a need to force existing codebase users to
>>>>> rename
>>>>> everything just to free up a few unit names for packages that are
>>>>> essentially free to chose their own.
>>>>
>>>> There is a need. Without it, you will severely cripple the use of
>>>> default namespaces.
>>>>
>>>> If someone
>>>> * defines a namespace 'mycompany',
>>>> * uses that namespace as the default namespace
>>>> * has a 'classes' unit (or anything else that name-clashes with our
>>>> units) in that namespace
>>>>    he/she will never be able to use our classes unit again.
>>>
>>> Yes. And he deserves it IMHO.
>>
>> Strange reaction.
>>
>> As I said: the above scenario is the very reason why namespaces were
>> invented to begin with.
> .
> .
>> But if we do decide to introduce them, then we must be consequent all the
>> way through
>> and support their use as intended. That includes IMHO releasing a RTL/FCL
>> whatnot with all the proper namespaces.
>
> What would be "the proper namespaces" for FPC - the namespaces chosen by
> Embarcadero (which may change from one Delphi version to another - not
> sure whether it happens in reality, of course, but the point is that it
> would happen completely outside our control) without any consideration of
> our own structure (e.g. rtl versus packages)? Or a different structure for
> FPC (e.g. fpc.rtl...., etc.)? Are there any implications for our own units
> (the argument about possible conflicts applies to them too)?

These are things I didn't consider yet.
First the principle, then the practical details.

In each case: if we chose in the past to have compatible names for compatible units,
(basically: system, classes, sysutils, strutils, rtlconst and syncobjs, and maybe 
some DB units) I see no reason to abandon that practice.

And Embarcadero would shoot itself in the foot by changing the namespaces too frequently. 
So I'm banking on the fact that they will not do this too often.

Michael.