[Templates] Re: TT version 2.15 released

[Andy Wardley]

Robert Hicks wrote:
> I just started following the TT list. Why were these broken out? I can 
> think of a couple of reasons myself but wanted to hear it from the 
> "horses  mouth". And no, I am not implying anything by that!  :-)

A number of reasons.  To reduce bloat in the core, to make TT easier to 
install, and to limit the overall dependencies on other modules that can 
and do change over time.

For example, we've had countless reports of TT failing to install 
because one of the GD plugin tests failed.  It turns out that different 
versions of the GD library produce slightly different results.  That's 
something we can easily document or code around in a Template-GD 
distribution and by making it a separate download it's only going to 
affect the people who are planning to use GD.  They are also more likely 
to read the docs to find out what's gone wrong.

Those people who just want to process some templates and have no 
interest in GD (or XML, DBI or Latex) shouldn't really have to worry 
about all that.

The final reason is that it will make it easier to roll out updates to 
the various plugins without having to release a whole new version of TT 
each time.  A new version of TT means closing all the open bugs, 
applying all the outstanding patches, fixing all the documentation and 
so on.  That can take a long time.  Months, years even ;-)

So in summary I think it's a good move all round.  Make TT slimmer.

Oh, I just thought of one more reason.  When TT3 is released (on 
tuesday, some time shortly after lunch) we'll want the plugins to be 
available for both TT3 and legacy TT2 systems.  We can't do that if 
they're all in one distribution or the other and we almost certainly 
don't want them in both.

A