[geos-devel] [postgis-devel] RFC6 - Drop GEOS C++ API at GEOS 3.8

[Dale Lutz]

As someone who was around in the earliest of days of GEOS, I'd like to
confirm that it was intended as a C++ port of the JTS (generally), and yes,
to be used in PostGIS ultimately.

But from the first day it was a C++ project.

I do realize the nightmare that shared packages impose as things upgrade,
which is why, again, as an old crusty guy that remembers DLL HELL of
Windows, my starting point is that I want to control whatever libraries I'm
going to rely upon.  So we don't rely on any pre-installed GEOS on any
platform we deploy to -- instead we just link to our own library (which we
prefix with our own name so we don't bump into anyone).  We do use the C++
API and so would expect it, in some form, to be available forever more.  I
do realize there is a difference between what gets "installed" in a linux
distribution and what a developer that wants to ship their own has.

The team here suggested that namespacing the C++ API could be a way to
avoid unexpected collisions -- I can ask them for more details if anyone is
interested.

In short, though, we do rely on a C++ API and so I could not, in good
conscience, vote to have it dropped.  A more nuanced proposal, which would
separate those who link statically or "build their own" from those who rely
on things in distributions, might be needed.

Dale
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