[Development] Use of std::function in Qt API

[Thiago Macieira]

Em sexta-feira, 17 de março de 2017, às 09:25:04 PDT, Matthew Woehlke 
escreveu:
> > We are not talking about security problems. What is wrong with running a
> > half-year, or worst case maybe even a two year old version of some library
> > as base for the bulk of the applications?
> 
> No bug fixes? No new features? Inability to update applications that
> need the new features? Delay in developers being able to use new
> features because their users don't have the latest version?

I completely agree on the bug fix issue: bug fixes are required. Before Qt 5.8, 
our habit was of releasing one or two patch releases, then stopping update and 
telling people to upgrade to the next minor. It's irresponsible to not provide 
an update path: we must provide patches to releases we're telling people to 
use.

If we're saying "it's ok for you to stay in that year-old minor series", then 
we have to provide patches for it. Conversely, if we close that minor series' 
branch and tell users to upgrade, then they must be able to upgrade without 
rebuilding the world.

5.6 comes in to help, but we've already been irresponsible in not releasing 
5.8.1 again. Our track record is not good.

As for the features, I take a middle-road: if a distribution has as policy not 
updating across minor versions for anything, then nothing requires new 
features in the first place. Just bugfixes.

-- 
Thiago Macieira - thiago.macieira (AT) intel.com
  Software Architect - Intel Open Source Technology Center