[R-pkg-devel] new maintainer for CRAN package XML

[Uwe Ligges]

On 24.01.2024 16:38, Emmanuel Blondel wrote:
> if XML is deprecated, then what would be the choice for a package 
> maintainer? Move to xml2 probably at some point I assume
> 
> I use XML in the R packages I've been developing. For some of them, I 
> started before CRAN started being the maintainer, and before xml2 
> inception. The thing is that XML fulfills requirements, it works and 
> fulfills needs of depending packages that made the choice to use it. For 
> this, it deserves to be maintained in CRAN, without having to enter into 
> comparison exercices with other packages that , as of today, may be 
> better to rely on (with certainly very good reasons).
> 
> Moving to xml2 (or whatever other package), which although I could agree 
> on the principle, can be costly for packages that use extensively XML. 
> Doing so would mean that we first get the assurance that all XML 
> features are covered elsewhere, and can be migrated smoothly.
> 
> In any case, please acknowledge that this kind of migration may take 
> time and require resources that vary (or even are missing) depending on 
> the package projects. I doubt having CRAN setting a common deadline for 
> retirement is a good way to foster an efficient maintenance of R 
> packages depending on XML. It would be good to receive guidance how to 
> migrate, while ensuring backward compatibility on our package features.

We learned that it is hard to fade out XML support, and CRAN took over 
maintainance as XML had too many reverse dependencies.
CRAN certainly does not have the resources to be able to deprecate XML 
in the same way as Roger Bivand did for rgdal.
So now we are looking for a new maintainer on a public list, feel free 
to raise your hand and take over. Then you could even consider to 
deprecate it and help other maintainers to migrate.

I won't spend more time on any discussions. We are just looking for a 
volunteer.

Best,
Uwe Ligges



> Best
> 
> Le 24/01/2024 à 15:59, Jeroen Ooms a écrit :
>> On Mon, Jan 22, 2024 at 3:51 PM Uwe Ligges
>> <ligges using statistik.tu-dortmund.de> wrote:
>>> Dear package developers,
>>>
>>> the CRAN team (and Professor Ripley in particular) has been the defacto
>>> maintainer of CRAN package 'XML'.
>>> Our hope was that maintainers of packages depending on XML will migrate
>>> to other packages for reading XML structures. This has not happened and
>>> we still see dozens of strong dependencies on XML.
>> How is this hope communicated? Many R users assume that XML package is
>> in great shape and the preferable choice because it is maintained by
>> the CRAN team and r-core members.
>>
>> Perhaps one could follow the precedent from the rgdal retirement, and
>> set a deadline.
>>
>> One way to communicate this effectively would be by introducing a
>> formal deprecation field in the package description. This could then
>> be displayed on the XML CRAN html page, and when loading the package
>> interactively. Other packages that import such a deprecated package
>> could be given a CMD check warning.
>>
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