Re: How about a roadmap?

[J.P.]

Hi people,

By now, it's no secret that we (I) pretty much missed the mark, at least
time-wise, with most of these objectives. Nevertheless, here's a quick
recap and update, just FTR:

> Q2
>
> [...]
>
>      - Simplify mutual loading dependency
>        https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=54825

Partially addressed, to be rounded out by bug#56340.

>    1 Investigate package.el issue impacting next release [1]

Addressed by a recent change to our ELPA recipe but awaiting
confirmation of actual effectiveness.

>    1 Paper over some 27 compat issues temporarily
>      `format-patch', `decoded-time-period', etc.

Largely tackled by

  commit f6b6614c32f73b0bde3121d39fdfb1d302a97bd8
  Add compat from GNU ELPA as a soft dependency in ERC

>    1 Improve frame-oriented buffer-display options (bug#51753, 2/2)
>      https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=51753
>
>    * v5.5

Still to do (sigh). Currently still at 5.4.1. Please see etc/ERC-NEWS.

> Q3
>
>    2 Explore alternate pre-release versioning workflow [2]
>
>    2 Begin exploring long-term strategy for managing compatibility

Yet unaddressed.

>    4 Lay some IRCv3 groundwork
>      https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=49860
>
>      - Improve module handling generally and provide local modules
>        https://ttm.sh/tax

In progress, to be subsumed into 5.5. See bug#57955.

>      - Perform additional prep work, like making stamp and fill more
>        flexible, converting core message handling functions to
>        cl-generic, and possibly submitting an authz patch for sasl.el

Only the last has seen any progress (bug#57956).

>    3 Devise convention for promoting experimental features in releases,
>      possibly by partitioning the internal "erc--foo" quasi-namespace.
>
>      - Expose core v3 functionality and SASL as experimental features,
>        or possibly export a tiny, forward-compatible corner of the
>        eventual public v3 catalog
>        https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=29108

Deemed half-baked and therefore abandoned.

>    * v5.6

Postponed until after Emacs 29.


The takeaway here is that I'm shooting for non-IRCv3 SASL (bug#29108)
for ERC 5.5, which will hopefully be released in the next few weeks in
order to buy us some breathing room for any last-minute fixes before
Emacs 29 is cut.

Thanks,
J.P.