MapServer Enhancement Proposal #1134

[Sean Gillies]

On Dec 15, 2004, at 2:46 PM, Daniel Morissette wrote:

> Sean Gillies wrote:
>>
>> Early next year I would like to begin working at embedding
>> Python expressions into MapServer.  Here is the proposal:
>>
>>     http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=1134
>>
>> If you are interested, add yourself to the issue and gimme
>> some feedback.
>
> Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully this can be done in a way that
> expressions from other languages can also easily be added down the
> road.
>
>
>> I would also like to petition all you developers
>> to consider a shorter than usual iteration for the 4.6 release
>> so that this new feature can get into use.  I'd like to see a
>> 4.6 within 2 months.
>>
>
> Um... we've been working hard to get to and stick to a 6 months release
> cycle that makes it easier for developers and users to plan their work
> around releases and now we'd change that again? In that context would
> it
> still make sense or be possible at all to have a new 4.8 release just
> before the June meeting?
>
> I'm not aware of any current large feature plans that couldn't fit in a
> quick 4.6 release at the moment, but I don't think we should keep
> changing the rules this way. Freezing and stabilizing the software to
> release it requires lots of work and we cannot afford to repeat that
> every 2-3 months. In addition to that, February-March are the worst
> months for us so I am unlikely to be available to help much with a
> release at that time.
>
> Of course I'm just another developer and don't get to make the final
> call so I'd suggest that you propose a clear plan for a 4.6 release and
> see if you can get enough people to buy into it. My preference would be
> to stick to a 5-6 months cycle at this point.
>
> Daniel

It's my opinion that if we shortened our iterations that the
process wouldn't be so cumbersome.  Fewer packages of features
to make release-ready, and less of a mad scramble to add features
right before the deadline.

But this is not about changing the "rules" or about criticizing
the 4.4 release process.  You did a great job!  I just recall that
someone else had already begun lobbying for a quicker 4.6 release
and I am joining my voice to theirs.

cheers,
Sean

--
Sean Gillies
sgillies at frii dot com
http://users.frii.com/sgillies