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Bug#649679: [copyright-format] Clarify what distinguishes files and stand-alone license paragraphs.



On Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 12:19:18PM +0900, Charles Plessy wrote:
> I forward here Dominique's comment from ‘http://bugs.debian.org/642833#66’;.
> (see also the next messages in that thread).

> Le Tue, Sep 27, 2011 at 04:21:07PM +0200, Dominique Dumont a écrit :

> > Consider the following (admitedly contrived) copyright paragraph:
> > 
> > Files: this license applies to any of them
> > License: GPL-1+
> >  GPL-1+ yada yada

> > Is it:
> > - a "Files" paragraph with a License field ?
> > - a "License" paragraph with an extra "Files" field ?

> Perhaps we can clarify how to distinguish files and stand-alone license
> paragraphs.

> The attached patch is in line with what lintian and config-model do.

I think this particular patch has been superseded by the refactoring of
paragraphs definitions vs. field definitions done in the DEP repo.  Since we
now explicitly state that a Files paragraph has the Files, Copyright, and
License fields as required, the paragraph shown above is not a Files:
paragraph (it's missing a Copyright field).  So perhaps it's a stand-alone
License paragraph with an extra Files: field.

I don't think that should be legal either however; we allow "extra fields"
to be added to any paragraph, but I don't believe the intent is to allow
*defined* fields to be used in paragraphs where they are not specified to be
permitted - only to allow new field names to be used.  So I think something
like the attached patch should be applied.  Thoughts?

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek@ubuntu.com                                     vorlon@debian.org
=== modified file 'dep5/copyright-format.xml'
--- old/dep5/copyright-format.xml	2011-12-18 17:38:43 +0000
+++ new/dep5/copyright-format.xml	2011-12-18 22:49:01 +0000
@@ -108,14 +108,17 @@
       mandated upstream information, copyright notices and licensing details.
     </para>
     <para>
-      The syntax of the file is the same as for other Debian control files, as
-      specified in the Debian Policy Manual.  See its <ulink
+      The syntax of the file is the same as for other Debian control files,
+      as specified in the Debian Policy Manual.  See its <ulink
       url="http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-controlfields#s-controlsyntax";>section
-      5.1</ulink> for details. Extra fields can be added to any paragraph.  No
-      prefixing is necessary or desired, but please avoid names similar to
-      standard ones so that mistakes are easier to catch.  Future versions of
-      the <filename>debian/copyright</filename> specification will attempt to
-      avoid conflicting specifications for widely used extra fields.
+      5.1</ulink> for details.  Additional fields can be added to any
+      paragraph, but the fields defined in this document are only allowed in
+      the paragraphs where they are specified to be present.  No prefixing
+      is necessary or desired for new field names, but please avoid names
+      similar to standard ones so that mistakes are easier to catch.  Future
+      versions of the <filename>debian/copyright</filename> specification
+      will attempt to avoid conflicting specifications for widely used extra
+      fields.
     </para>
     <para>
       The file consists of two or more paragraphs.  At minimum, the file

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