[R-pkg-devel] How to update "SystemRequirements: C++11"?

[Iñaki Ucar]

On Tue, 7 Feb 2023 at 01:50, Avraham Adler <avraham.adler using gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Tue, Feb 7, 2023 at 12:10 AM Iñaki Ucar <iucar using fedoraproject.org> wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, 7 Feb 2023 at 00:09, Avraham Adler <avraham.adler using gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > "If a package does have a src/Makevars[.win] file then also setting
> > > the make variable ‘CXX_STD’ there is recommended,"
> >
> > That doesn't refer to the SystemRequirements field.
> >
> > Iñaki
> >
>
> No, but the prior sentence does. The complete excerpt is:
>
>   ::Packages without a src/Makevars or src/Makefile file may specify a
> C++ standard for code in the src directory by including something like
> ‘C++14’ in the ‘SystemRequirements’ field of the DESCRIPTION file,
> e.g.
>   ::::SystemRequirements: C++14
>  ::If a package does have a src/Makevars[.win] file then also setting
> the make variable ‘CXX_STD’ there is recommended, as it allows R CMD
> SHLIB to work correctly in the package’s src directory.
>
> So one is supposed to add the requirement to DESCRIPTION via
> SystemRequitements. If there is a Makevars, one should ALSO set the
> variable in there.
>
> If you wish, I can forward you personal communication with Professor
> Ripley from last week where he makes this clear as well.

No need. But with all due respect, in such a case, I do not agree with
Prof. Ripley. By no means I'm a native English speaker, but I'm quite
accustomed to the "MAY, SHOULD, MUST" language that is common in
software guidelines. And there is a clear "may" in the first sentence,
implying that you may, or may not, add this to SystemRequirements.
Therefore, with the current wording, adding the standard to
SystemRequirements is only mandatory in the case in which your minimum
supported version is above the default (which makes sense to me, BTW).

If this was meant to be always mandatory, I would suggest to the
authors of WRE to modify that section.

-- 
Iñaki Úcar