Subject: bug#76925: [PATCH] admin/notes/elpa: Add note on contributing to external packages

From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:20:57 +0000

david <[email-masked]> writes:

> Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]> writes:
>
>> david <[email-masked]> writes:
>>
>>> Stefan Monnier <[email-masked]> writes:
>>>
>>>>> What do you think about the patch update?  I'm open to any suggestions
>>>>> from you.  Thanks.
>>>>
>>>> FWIW, I don't see any need to add anything of that kind to `admin/notes/elpa`.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         Stefan
>>>
>>> Thanks, Stefan.  Could you share what you propose instead?  This thread
>>> stems from an issue about missing information that we could address.
>>> Several developers have discussed the patch, and I believe that when
>>> joining a thread to express disagreement, it's helpful to offer an
>>> alternative or explanation—especially when others see value in the
>>> change.  If the patch had been dismissed from the start as unnecessary
>>> or irrelevant, there would be no issue.  But when multiple developers
>>> are actively discussing it, simply stating it's unnecessary without
>>> elaboration can come across as lacking tact.  I say this because I feel
>>> a sense of responsibility for a thread I started.
>>>
>>> Looking forward to your thoughts.
>>
>> If I may propose a idea I have been playing around with for a while in
>> my head:  I think it would be nice to have a wizard-like interface that
>> prepares a submission request.  It should both be able to set up a
>> project if the user is just starting out and provide some basic checks
>> for a user who has some ready code they wish to add to ELPA.  In the
>> process, the package should go through and explain the most common
>> questions ("how to release a package?", "when is it updated?", "what is
>> the difference between GNU and NonGNU ELPA?", etc.).
>>
>> If you are interested in contributing to ELPA, I think that working on
>> this kind of a user-facing package would be more useful than commenting
>> on a admin/notes file that most people don't even know about.  I would
>> be more than glad to shepherd you through the process 1:1, as I have had
>> a good experience with the approach in the past.  How does that sound
>> like?
>>
>> (Package name suggestion: "elpa-helper".)
>
> Thank you, Philip. This is an interesting and valuable initiative. 

If you are interested in it, we can close this bug report and continue
the discussion in private.  Are you OK with that?

>                                                                    While
> I lack experience with wizard interfaces, I'd be happy to contribute
> where most useful. What first steps would you suggest?

I have a sketch I can share with you, but this is really an open-ended
idea.