Bug#898259: RFP: vscode -- Microsoft Visual Studio Code
Daniel Pocock writes ("Bug#898259: RFP: vscode -- Microsoft Visual Studio Code"):
> Package: wnpp
> Severity: wishlist
> X-Debbugs-CC: debian-devel@lists.debian.org,debian-outreach@lists.debian.org
...
> Visual Studio Code regularly comes up in discussions. Several GSoC
> students have asked about using it for Python projects.
It would be nice if you'd said what this thing even is :-). I know
it's on that WP page you linked to but it ought to be here in the bug.
Wikipedia says
Visual Studio Code is a source code editor developed by Microsoft
for Windows, Linux and macOS. It includes support for debugging,
embedded Git control, syntax highlighting, intelligent code
completion, snippets, and code refactoring. It is also customizable,
so users can change the editor's theme, keyboard shortcuts, and
preferences.
So it's an IDE.
You list a number of concerns and ways they might be addressed. I
have a concern you have not mentioned:
IDEs encourage particular ways of programming, both in general, and
specifically. They lead developers down particular paths. In this
case, those paths might be harmful to Debian or to our users.
For example, it might promote interfaces that Microsoft prefer, over
interfaces that Microsoft deprecate; or it might promote
edit-a-template coding workflows (and the templates might have
unfortunate licences).
It might encourage intergration with other Microsoft products.
Even if we do an assessment of these kinds of questions, and find that
right now they are not a problem, Microsoft can of course change
things later. The bait-and-switch business strategy is common.
In summary, I am uncomfortable with Microsoft as an upstream in this
context. Of course, none of this necessarily contradicts Debian's
formal standards, so a final decision would rest with
maintainers/sponsors within Debian.
Ian.
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