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Re: [wtp-pmc] Discusion about getting prereq excempt for tools like npm, bower, grunt, typescript, sass, less and others
On 18/03/2015 4:14 PM, Max Rydahl Andersen wrote:
The intent is that we would like in JSDT to start integrating with these tools in a similar manner that for example CDT calls out to native compilers
and how Buildship calls out to Gradle.

Before we go do the official request for each of the tools I was suggested by Mike to raise it on the relevant PMC first to see
if there were any objections against starting this.

A few comments from the perspective of the EMO:
  • We want to help make WTP/JSDT better and more current.
  • We agree that we should be using the tools and frameworks that developers are already using, and not try to replicate function in Eclipse projects.
  • Whenever an Eclipse project requires a dependency, it is the role of the PMC to decide if it is a works-with or a prerequisite.
  • If it is determined to be a prerequisite, then it is the EMO's role to decide if it is an exempt or non-exempt prerequisite.

Which gets us to the hard part....how does the EMO decide whether something is exempt or non-exempt? An exempt pre-req is defined in the policy[1] as ".... if the software is pervasive in nature, expected to be already on the user's machine, and/or an IP review would be either impossible, impractical, or inadvisable." But at the same time, the whole point of the policy is to avoid "... bypassing the IP due diligence process by requiring third party software as a prerequisite where such third party is to be downloaded and installed separately by the user, instead of redistributing such software in their projects."

The kinds of things that we look for are pretty much described in the policy. But one of the fuzzy things in the policy definition is "...expected to be already on the user's machine". That's certainly an area where some judgement is applied, and to where the intent of the project comes into play. For example, if the intent of the project is to provide developers tools for the C/C++ language, it is our opinion that it is reasonable to expect that the developer would already have C/C++ language implementations installed (e.g. gcc). If the project is providing tools for Gradle, then surely they are going to need Gradle. And so on....

I don't know too much about the specific projects that Max listed, but if a _javascript_ developer would be expected to already have them installed on their machine in order to do _javascript_ development, and they are not actually distributed with the Eclipse plug-in, then they probably meet the definition of "exempt prerequisite".

I hope that helps.

[1] https://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/Eclipse_Policy_and_Procedure_for_3rd_Party_Dependencies_Final.pdf

--
Mike Milinkovich
mike.milinkovich@xxxxxxxxxxx
+1.613.220.3223 (mobile)

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