[pacman-dev] download code in pacman

[Aurelien Foret]

Joao Estevao wrote:
>>is there any reason why the download code is in pacman and not in the
>>library? yes, i know, this way the frontends are not forced to use
>>libftp, for example they can use curl, if you want. but i think this is
>>not the same situation as the list handling functions / GList (ie. at a gtk
>>frontend)
>>
>>imho placing the old download code in pacman, and not in the library is a
>>disadvantage, and not an advantage
>>
> 
> The way I see it it is always an advantage, it's simpler this way.
> It's entirely up to the frontends to download the packages and the
> db's.
> One can implement a more exotic method of download, for instance, the
> frontend could retrieve the packages with the help of a bittorrent
> library. That would alleviate the burden on the main or the mirror's
> server.
> Or one could check the packages for viruses, but I'm really just
> dreaming here...

I second Joao's opinion: I can hardly think of a good reason to put the 
download code on the library side.
The idea so far is to keep the library preporagatives to a simple set of 
opeartions relating to packages installation/removal.
The file download is a high-level feature, let's say provided by the
frontend for more conveniency.

What's the idea behind this proposal?
--
Aurelien