[Bioperl-l] For the 1.6 release...

[Chris Fields]

All,

Just to note for anyone not subscribed to the dev list, I haven't  
created a branch or tagged anything for 1.6 yet, but will probably do  
so in the next week.

We are seeing some very promising code from new devs.  However, we  
don't want subtle bugs sneaking in with rushed code at the last  
minute.  This means:

1) Any new modules and functionality trying to make it into the  
initial 1.6 release at the last minute still need to pass *all* tests,  
not just the ones in a particular test file.

2) Be prepared to ->support<- your code/modules (and it's current  
design, flowers/warts and all).  This code will go out to a LOT of  
users.  As noted previously, API changes that break code or tests will  
NOT be allowed in this release series.  If you think there is a design  
flaw: take a deep breath.  There is no need to rush.  See #3 below.

3) We intend on having regular point releases (about every 3-4 months)  
for bug fixes and some added functionality (as long as it does not  
change the API and can be supported).  If your module's or code's API  
is in a state that may change, please consider waiting until a later  
point release.

1.6 has been a long time coming.  We made the point early on for this  
release that the focus was primarily to be on bug fixes; enhancements  
would only be included if they come with and can pass all new and  
current tests.

chris