Backwards compatability

Backwards compatability

[Bithov Vinu]

Hi,

I recently posted to the help-gnu-emacs mailing list about using the
org-mode package "org-drill" and its long-term viability considering
that it is no longer actively maintained - you can see the thread
[here](https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-gnu-emacs/2021-04/msg00230.html).

The responses I got often pointed to the fact that while Emacs Lisp
tries to strictly say backwards-compatible, there may be no guarantee
for OrgMode, the functions of which (as well as some other misc.
libraries) org-drill relies on.

Are any measures being done to make org-mode backwards compatible, so
that older plugins aren't crippled by new updates? A cursory
DuckDuckGo yields
[this](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10636589) HackerNews
comment, which seems to suggest that the "developers don't care at all
about breakage". This may still hold true, but the comment was written
in 2015 and I wanted to make sure so that I could:

(a) proceed with educated caution using org-drill, fixing bugs where necessary
(b) using an alternate spaced repetition application, ie.
Anki/Mnemosyne (the two open source flashcard applications)

Thanks,
~~~

Re: Backwards compatability

[Eric S Fraga]

On Thursday, 22 Apr 2021 at 17:41, Bithov Vinu wrote:
> Are any measures being done to make org-mode backwards compatible, so

I cannot speak for the "developers" but backwards compatibility is taken
into account at all times, from what I have seen.  This does not mean
that things do not break as otherwise it would be impossible to evolve
org but changes that break compatibility are not done gratuitously.

The same applies to Emacs more generally.

Note that you can always continue running an old(er) version of org (and
Emacs) should you need to.  (Unlike the proprietary world, older
versions are always available.)  This is not ideal, of course, but the
possibility is there.

-- 
: Eric S Fraga via Emacs 28.0.50, Org release_9.4.4-254-g37749c

Re: Backwards compatability

[Bastien]

Hi Bithov,

we *do* care a lot about backward compatibility*.

We cannot make a strong commitment for contributed libraries and
external ones, though, otherwise Org would not evolve.

org-drill.el was removed from the contrib/ directory 1 year ago:
https://code.orgmode.org/bzg/org-mode/commit/2c8e8b4a

Perhaps you can try to find someone who wants to maintain it.

* https://bzg.fr/en/the-software-maintainers-pledge/

-- 
 Bastien

Re: Backwards compatability

[Nick Savage]

On org-drill, I think someone has already taken it up here a while ago: 
https://gitlab.com/phillord/org-drill

On 4/25/21 12:39 AM, Bastien wrote:
> Hi Bithov,
>
> we *do* care a lot about backward compatibility*.
>
> We cannot make a strong commitment for contributed libraries and
> external ones, though, otherwise Org would not evolve.
>
> org-drill.el was removed from the contrib/ directory 1 year ago:
> https://code.orgmode.org/bzg/org-mode/commit/2c8e8b4a
>
> Perhaps you can try to find someone who wants to maintain it.
>
> * https://bzg.fr/en/the-software-maintainers-pledge/
>