40 lines
1.8 KiB
C
40 lines
1.8 KiB
C
/**
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* @mainpage The X Binary Package System Library API
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* @section intro_sec Introduction
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*
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* XBPS is a new binary package system designed and implemented from
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* scratch, by <b>Juan Romero Pardines</b>. This document describes
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* the API used by the XBPS Library, that is the base to implement
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* a package manager frontend, such as is implemented in the xbps
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* command line interfaces.
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*
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* XBPS uses extensively NetBSD's proplib, a library that provides an
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* abstract interface for creating and manipulating property lists.
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* Property lists have object types for boolean values, opaque data, numbers,
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* and strings. Structure is provided by the array and dictionary collection
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* types. Property lists can be passed across protection boundaries by
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* translating them to an external representation. This external representation
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* is an XML document whose format is described by the following DTD:
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*
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* http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd
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*
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* NetBSD's proplib has been choosed because it's fast, extensible, and easy
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* to use. These are the three facts I mentioned:
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*
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* - <b>Fast</b> because proplib uses an ultra optimized
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* <em>red-black tree</em> implementation to store and find all its objects,
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* the same implementation has been used in commercial projects by
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* <em>Apple Inc</em>.
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*
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* - <b>Extensible</b> because you don't have to worry about ABI problems
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* with its objects, arrays and dictionaries can be extended without such
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* problems.
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*
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* - <b>Easy</b> to use (and learn) because it has a superb documentation
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* available in the form of manual pages.
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*
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* Not to mention that its arrays and dictionaries can be externalized to
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* files (known as plists) and <b>are always written atomically</b>. You
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* have the whole file or don't have it at all.
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*/
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