Erlang is getting too big

[Robert Virding]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Merritt" <cyberlync@REDACTED>
To: <erlang-questions@REDACTED>
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: Erlang is getting too big
 
>  Why is it impossible to take something away? If you
> give ample warning, say depricating a feature two or
> three releases before it goes away, and provide a very
> clear migration path to new features it should not be
> a problem to remove features. If a client doesn't want
> to modify his source he always has the option of not
> upgrading past the point where a depricated feature is
> removed. 

Have you ever tried to remove, or change, anything in a distribution.
I think not. It is in principle impossible to make a backwards
incompatible change, no matter how sesnible and approved. I know
I have tried for many years when I was working with it. That is one
reason why the language keeps growing, you can add improvements
but can't remove the old stuff.

We were very restrictive in adding new stuff but some things
slipped through and got a user base before they could be cleaned
up. It's a bit like the urban legend about Make.

Robert