deps set to * fail to fetch when no public tag is available

[gvilarino]

Using 1.0.0-rc5.

Dependencies specified with * can't be found since the tags array from github is empty.

Try with this: component/aurora for example. Won't fetch 0.0.1 which is the master version, because there are no tags available.

The workaroun is to use master instead of * for these repos; the downside is that there are a LOT of these being called under official component repos, and I've had to fork out every dependency in my tree to fix this.

Maybe there's an easier way? I can't seem to find any documentation/issue about this, sorry.

[sachalifs]

:+1:

[micky2be]

-1

Seems normal to me. If there is no release/tag available why should it take master? * should mean the last release available, and not master.

[dominicbarnes]

-1

I agree with @micky2be, but I would also point out that master is not always the root branch. I've encountered a handful that use something else. (gh-pages for one, as weird as that is)

I don't want to add magic, but I also think this edge-case should be documented.

[gvilarino]

@micky2be @dominicbarnes I'm saying this because it's how 0.19.* used to work, and not supporting it breaks compatibility with components that haven't been updated since v1 is out. Even those under component github organisation.

My suggestion would be for * version number to work just as it is now, with the sole exception of fetching master when there are no tags at all in the repo. In a repo with no tags, master is the latest release available.

For instace, the repo I mentioned component/aurora is used by some other component in my dependency hierarchy. The only way I can think of to keep these working when migrating to v1 is to support * as fetch master when no tag is available. Builder could maybe issue a warning and tell you to be careful, but that shouldn't be a build-breaking issue.

[trevorgerhardt]

This is an example of a smart default, I'm all for this.

[timaschew]

to use * is usually a bad idea, unless you're using something like a npm shrinkwrap file, because you can't ensure to get things reproducible.

so if this breaks for some components, it's a signal to pin the * dependencies. you shouldn't fork the repos, just make a PR and if they won't merge it, then you should maybe use another component.

the downside is that there are a LOT of these being called under official component repos

we will fix that (add tags) for all our components within the component orga.

[trevorgerhardt]

@timaschew, I agree using * is generally bad idea, but it's ubiquitous. Using master by default if no tags are present creates less work and isn't an unexpected result. Isn't forcing tags equivalent to forcing a "publish" step like npm?

[timaschew]

but it's ubiquitous

That is not a reason to support these bad things ^^

Using master by default if no tags are present creates less work and isn't an unexpected result.

in which context? you mean when upgrading component from 0.19 to 1.0?

But that I think it's not really expectably when you are on the master using * and then someone push a commit which breaks your app. Any branch, if master or something else, representing your current working draft which is not guaranteed to work.

Isn't forcing tags equivalent to forcing a "publish" step like npm?

Yes, it is :)

[gvilarino]

@timaschew I agree with spirit behind the more restrictive approach to the use of *. I just believe it's not completely acceptable that 1.0.0 ships as is while official /component repos fail to build because no one tagged them.

But that I think it's not really expectably when you are on the master using * and then someone push a commit which breaks your app.

That would happen as well if someone publishes a new version without thorough testing. It's not a matter of tag/no tags, it's a matter of being mindful about what code is pushed/tagged. And let's keep in mind that what I suggest is only for those repos with the very rare -though real- case of not having public tags.

Any branch, if master or something else, representing your current working draft which is not guaranteed to work.

I believe nothing is actually guaranteed to work on the open source community. All softare is provided 'AS IS', as can be read in every other license.

Wrapping it up:

1. In the ideal world * should fail when no tags are present.
2. There are official /component repos that work, with no tags.

That being said, maybe supporting the very specific case of master when no tags are present is something that would make stuff work without the need of forking 6-7 repos in the hierarchy just to work around a tag that someone forgot to create, especially under /component.

This is all meant to improve adoption of component 1. The more rocks on the road someone meets when migrating is one more reason to drop component.

[trevorgerhardt]

This is all meant to improve adoption of component 1. The more rocks on the road someone meets when migrating is one more reason to drop component.

At this point, this is enough of a reason for me to disregard any downside of supporting a * to master fallback.

[timaschew]

That would happen as well if someone publishes a new version without thorough testing. It's not a matter of tag/no tags, it's a matter of being mindful about what code is pushed/tagged.

The frequency matters, in a active project you commit and push more often than release a new tag.

okay so let's do the fallback and make a console.warning with a deprecated note. and tell the people to pin it or change it to master. the fallback will be removed in component 1.1.0

[gvilarino]

That sounds awesome!

Thanks for the support :+1:

[trevorgerhardt]

So implementation for this would be in resolver.js correct? Any volunteers?

[timaschew]

yep :) I found and changed it already, need to do some test, then I'll push it

should be this function: https://github.com/componentjs/resolver.js/blob/master/lib/dependencies.js#L126-L150

[timaschew]

hmm I can't reproduce this, that's strange because I run into this issue as well some month ago

[timaschew]

@gvilarino master is used as fallback, here is the line: https://github.com/componentjs/resolver.js/blob/3b4a7a04663e7b99d4a5ec99a414fec6b04a0384/lib/semver.js#L141

So I close this issue unless you give me a script to reproduce the behaviour you described.

[gvilarino]

Hey thanks @timaschew ! Close away if you will; I'll try to provide a script that repros on rc5

[timaschew]

isn't it just component install component/aurora? This works for me, that's the reason why I'm asking to close, because the issues seems to be gone? Maybe github now returns not an empty array for tags anymore, because I don't see that the implementation of component has changed in the meanwhile.

So the issue should be open if we can reproduce what you have reported in your first post.

[gvilarino]

I understand and that makes a lot of sense. I'll try to make a repro situation later today and share it here

[gvilarino]

Well, that's pretty weird. It should fail as it did before, with a simple empty project and the following in their component.json

{
  "name": "foo",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "description": "foo",
  "dependencies": {
    "component/aurora": "*"
  }
}

But it doesn't. Maybe the github API is actually working differently. I say just close it.