Legacy stack woes II -- Restated

[Richard Gaskin]

Rob Cozens wrote:
> Is it possible to distribute a "source" stack for other developers to 
> use to build a standalone in a single format that can be used by all 
> versions of the Distribution Builder?
> 
> If build settings are included in the source stack, older versions of 
> the Distribution Builder won't find them; if build settings are in 
> [stack name] Config.rev, newer version of the Distribution Builder 
> won't find them.
> 
> The alternative seems to be listing the settings in a ReadMe file and 
> forcing the developer to specify them to the Distribution Builder.

If I understand this correctly, to be compatible with both versions 
you'd need to set it up for both versions, so that you'd have the config 
file for older users and the custom props ready to go for newer ones. 
AFAIK the two don't interfere with one another.

But stepping back to look at the bigger picture, is the problem truly 
larger than the solution?

Consider the number of potentially affected users:  the subset of Rev 
users still using only older versions, and the subset of those exploring 
SDB, and the subset of those whose explorations motivate them to want a 
standalone, and the subset of those who wouldn't find any standalones 
you could make yourself acceptable for their purposes.

Another way to answer this question is to look at what RunRev themselves 
have done:  Did they consider it worthwhile making the new Standalone 
Builder compatible with the older config files, so that it could at a 
minimum read those props and move them into the new custom property?

If they didn't see it as worth doing for 100% of Rev IDE users I'd think 
you're off the hook on this one, and can move on to more pressing concerns.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
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  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com       http://www.FourthWorld.com