Should we remove the `pacdef group` commands

[ripytide]

While working on #81 I started questioning whether we should consider removing the pacdef group sub-set of commands.

The reason why I think we should get rid of them are because they go against the Unix Philosophy (do one thing and do it well) since we are emulating a pre-existing set of tools (file managers).

I personally, never use them as I always prefer to just handle the group files myself since I already how know how to do that and it wouldn't make sense to me to learn to do it another way (via the pacdef group commands).

But those are just my thoughts what do others think?

[steven-omaha]

I use them often. Yes, they are in principle convenience functions, but they are useful, and essential to me.

[ripytide]

But are they more convenient? Why not just use fundamental file management methods instead?

[ripytide]

The benefit of learning "regular" methods is that they are cross-compatible with all you config files as opposed to the pacdef group commands which can only ever be used for interacting with pacdef files.

[steven-omaha]

Yes. Instead of nvim ~/.config/pacdef/groups/<TAB><TAB>audio, I do pged <TAB>audio. And pged is alias pged = pacdef group edit which I use because I use it so often.

When I import groups, I go to my dotfiles repo, look for the one I want to use, and go pgi whatever, or pacdef g i whatever.

Yes, they are convenient. We are not getting rid of them.

[steven-omaha]

The benefit of learning "regular" methods is that they are cross-compatible with all you config files as opposed to the pacdef group commands which can only ever be used for interacting with pacdef files.

That is not an argument why pacdef group is bad or misplaced.

[ripytide]

When I import groups, I go to my dotfiles repo, look for the one I want to use, and go pgi whatever, or pacdef g i whatever.

Those are all things which could be automated using regular dotfiles automation tools though?

Yes. Instead of nvim ~/.config/pacdef/groups/audio, I do pged audio. And pged is alias pged = pacdef group edit which I use because I use it so often.

And for you alias you could use alias pged = nvim ~/.config/pacdef/groups then use a telescope fuzzy finder to select a group file to edit.

That is not an argument why pacdef group is bad or misplaced.

My argument is not that they are harmful directly, but that I don't think they justify their own existence in the codebase when many users such as myself would never use them and so might consider it bloated and so make maintenance more difficult (especially since that code is tightly coupled to the other implementation details in the crate rather than being de-coupled by using fundamental file management commands (cp, ln, mv, etc)

[ripytide]

Perhaps, at least de-coupling the functionality into a different crate would be an improvement without entirely removing them then?

[steven-omaha]

What concrete improvements would you expect?

[ripytide]

Easier code maintenance due to the de-coupling of functionality.

[steven-omaha]

I would not call that concrete. Please point to specific code smells that could be removed / improved when we go forward with your approach.

EDIT: I'm offline for today, will take another look tomorrow or Friday.