> "A release number should never be parsed," so scripts _match_ (i.e.
> with string compares, etc.) against it rather than parse it?
> 
> So in other words, they can just match against the new string, no?
> I.e. the release 'number' to match against becomes "NetBSD 0.9B"?
> how is that any worse than the 'number' being "0.9B"?

Sure, that's fine if all you want to do is compare with a given
revision.  But if you want to report the information to the user or
write it to a file in a reasonably consistent manner, gross hacks will
be necessary.

Hence, my request for you to provide a script which returns "NetBSD 0.9B"
or "SunOS 5.3", for example.

You haven't given any _benefits_ of the new method.  Are there any?
If there are disadvantages and no advantages, why do it?

	Mark
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Email: Mark_Weaver@brown.edu           | Brown University
PGP Key: finger mhw@cs.brown.edu       | Dept of Computer Science

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