Re: dpkg-buildpackage now reorganizing debian/control Depends field??

[Mike Bird <mgb@yosemite.net>]

On Fri February 22 2008 12:55:31 Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> > What please is the benefit of unnecessarily reordering dependencies
> > and leaving everyone on tenterhooks as to whether it will change
> > installation outcomes?  (If this has already been explained I apologize
> > for overlooking it.)
>
> 1/ Sorting makes the output deterministic, and this means that (potential)
> problems are more likely to be reproduced by everybody (whatever the
> architecture, etc.)

Sorting unnecessarily changes one deterministic output into a different
deterministic output, and in the process unnecessarily discards information
provided by developers.

This part of your answer does not identify any benefit.

> 2/ debdiff uses wdiff to show changes on field values and wdiff gives
> spurious differences if the sole difference between both values is
> a different order. Thus debdiff output is more useful with ordered Depends
> fields.

It is trivial to sort field values handed off from debdiff to wdiff, if
that were wanted.  OTOH, showing developer changes (and tool changes)
to Depends orders may be what is wanted.

This part of your answer does not identify any benefit that cannot be
achieved with less disruption.

In short, the sole dubious identified benefit can be easily achieved
by an alternative approach that is non-disruptive.

--Mike Bird