Expand DEPRECATED functionality.

[0rir]

Looking at Raku user code on Github, I stumbled across usage of Rakudo::Deprecations::DEPRECATED much like this.

#!/usr/bin/env raku
sub d(--> Str) {
    DEPRECATED(  'Me', '-Since', '-Gone', :what('sub d') );
    return 'd';
}
d();

This seems a large increase of utility beyond its sanctioned use as a trait. So I suggest that such usage be defined in Raku rather than be an implementation detail.

Such definition could allow future enhancements (or expose functionality I missed):

• Optional customized output.
• Redirection and silencing of notices so a repairer may fix in peace.
• Specification and overriding of the entity expressed by the output 'author'. Any or all of a Raku implementer, a library author, and a using-application author may wish end-user responses to go to the application author. When a contact is named, it should not imply authorship.
• A named product could be added as a sister to a named contact.
• Loosening of version number constraints/manipulation for non-Raku implementers' convenience.

Be well.

[2colours]

Hi @0rir,

let me ask if I have this straight: is this about deprecation within the Raku language specification or any deprecation that can happen in code?

[0rir]

@2colours, this is about making existing behavior into defined behavior in the Raku spec.

Just throwing it into roast is good, but the existing code has some expectation of a specific style of version numbers.

[codesections]

I would also support stabilizing a more powerful version of DEPRECIATED. For comparison, this is pretty similar to how Rust handles depreciation and it ends up being pretty useful in Rust user code.

[0rir]

Though I did propose a mess of features, I think there is one most necessary: Decoupling the Raku version style to allow any kind of version string.

Then multis should allow a smooth expansion of functionality.

And my 'contact' and 'author' thoughts were ill-thought--passing a generic and a more specific message would be more flexible.

[vrurg]

Decoupling the Raku version style to allow any kind of version string.

Sorry, would you elaborate on this? I don't quite get what is it about and how you see it.

[0rir]

@vrurg, thanks.

My '-Since', '-Gone' in the above code require the hyphens to avoid an initial letter 'v' being added because the they become Version objects. I did not explore this aspect--it just seemed clear that, for general use, plain strings are appropriate.