Re: proclamation of intent

[Stephen Dahmen <dahmens@bah.com>]

Hi Bob...

great ideas...

not sure if this is related to gnats, or just gnatsweb (which is the only
way I interface with gnats at the moment)... but it would be nice to
specify a sort query results.

Any thoughts about rewriting it using Perl instead?  here's some bennys
that I see:

1. you could use DBI and start with flat file database(s), then move to a
"real database" by just changing DBD modules. In fact users could decide to
use whatever database they want. Then you'll grant them SQL capability and
you will have many friends and future employers.

2. Take you half the time of doing it in C. 

3. Would have a fresh design rather than a severely munged C implementation.

4. It could be object oriented rather than arrgh structured.

5. Really portable! Even to NT probably! 

6. Perl already has an awesome distribution mechanism in place (CPAN)

7. would probably multiply the number of teams using it.

8. Would make it easier for a web interface to be written (could hook/reuse
	the core code)

9. It could much more easily be extended by future GNATS junkies.


Course if you don't know Perl, then it could be a drawback... :\
I'd be willing to help out informally with the design/architecture if you'd
like.

Good Luck with it.  Lets hope the client developers take advantage of it...
my thought is fewer and fewer are going to be using GNATS from the command
line.. i know my team couldn't use it that way.  Gnatsweb has been a
blessing. I'd hope you would start to lean more towards facilitating web
integration .

Oh, and there should be a way to convert "old" gnats data into the new
world without having to re-enter everything again.  Another good job for Perl.

Regards,

Stephen

PS> is there any affiliation between Juniper and the current keepers of
GNATS that would afford you the luxury of doing all this work? Just curious!

>