Multiple versions of the same project?

[dbr]

I'd like to create a Python 3.1 formula. It (by default) doesn't interfere with the current stable Python (2.6.x), as it creates a "python3" executable rather than "python"

Would I just name the formula "python3"?

On a related note, although less important, I'd also like to create formulas for older versions of Python (specifically 0.9.1, then a few of the older 1.x and 2.x) to test compatibility with old versions.. I could just create a "python0.9.1" formula, and a "python1.5" formula and so on, but this would get very messy..

How should these by dealt with?

[rrouse]

Here are my views on this one.

You could modify the forumla stucture to have one giant forumla file per application that has multiple versions in it that could be called via something like brew install python --version 0.9.1.

The other way, that I like more, is to change the Forumla directory to contain one folder per application. Inside that folder, you'd have multiple forumlas, each containing one version and named after the version (e.g. python/0.9.1.rb). The formula named after the app name (python.rb), would be the default one run when you do brew install python. You could install other versions by doing it like above (brew install python --version 0.9.1).

[dbr]

Hmm.. That sounds like it could work nicely, especially because homebrew's Cellar path already containing the version..

Basically, when brew install blah is run, it looks for formula/blah.rb, then foruma/blah/blah.rb. If the --version 0.9.1 flag is used, it looks for a file named formula/blah/0.9.1.rb` ?

I still think Python 3 should be a separate formula for now, as would be extremely common to have both 2.x and 3.x installed a the same time (but the above would be the "correct" way to do multiple versions)

[rrouse]

We'll have to wait and see what mxcl has to say about it then :) Hop on the IRC channel (#machomebrew) and point him this way.

[mxcl]

Our plan is something along the lines of:

• Homebrew holds the formula for the current stable formula
• We allow people to easily add formula from other git repositories
• People host formula for less popular versions or configurations
• We make web services that make it easy to search for these additional formula

At least for now name the formula python.rb

[mxcl]

This would also work for other forks of homebrew or other branches on other forks here at github.

[adamv]

There are now "Python" (2.7.x) and "Python3" (3.1.x) formulae. Because Python 3 explicitly identifies itself as such, as specifically does not conflict with Python 2, I've included both versions.

This doesn't solve the problem of using previous versions of either, though. Multi-repo and possible multi-version support are being thought about for future versions.