Cabal (software)
| Original author(s) | Isaac Potoczny-Jones |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Duncan Coutts |
| Initial release | January 2005 |
| Stable release | 1.24.0.0[1]
/ May 2016 |
| Repository | |
| Written in | Haskell |
| Operating system | Any Unix-like, Microsoft Windows |
| Size | 0.4 megabytes |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Application level package manager |
| License | BSD |
| Website | www |
The Haskell Cabal is the Common Architecture for Building Applications and Libraries; it aids in the packaging and distribution of software packages. It is contained in the Haskell Platform.
History
Cabal has been introduced to simplify packaging of Haskell software and modules[citation needed]. It was added to the Glasgow Haskell Compiler version 6.4 as default package manager,[2] along GHC's internal manager ghc-pkg. The actual binary cabal[3] and the library Cabal[4] are developed in different packages.
Throughout its development it has gained additional features, such as sandboxes[citation needed], which allow to escape the so-called Cabal hell (see below).
Cabalizing
Cabalizing is the process of making a library written in the Haskell programming language conformant to the requirements of the Cabal library infrastructure. Cabalizing may be required if a library was initially developed without taking those requirements into consideration, or if it was developed prior to the introduction of Cabal to the Haskell community.[citation needed]
Use
Cabal packages provide a standard set of metadata and build process; thus, it is possible to develop tools to upload Cabal packages to the CPAN-like community repository of software, Hackage, or even allow for automated downloading, compilation, and installation of desired packages from Hackage.[3]
Criticism
Since Cabal uses a global package repository by default, version conflicts in dependencies can lead to Cabal hell, a state where certain packages cannot get installed without re-installing already existing ones and therefore breaking the other packages.[5][6]
Although version 1.18 introduced sandboxes and improved this dependency hell,[7] non-proper use of sandboxes could still lead to problems, since packages on Hackage might not build or version boundaries on dependencies were too loose.[citation needed] As a result, a more stable (but less bleeding edge) variant of Hackage called Stackage has been created by FP Complete. [8] It was later extended with Haskell LTS[citation needed] and the tool stack,[9][10] which doesn't share its problems.
References
- ^ "Getting The Haskell Cabal". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "1.4. Release notes for version 6.4". GHC 6.4 user manual. Retrieved 2016-01-12.
- ^ a b "cabal-install: The command-line interface for Cabal and Hackage". Hackage. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Cabal: A framework for packaging Haskell software". Hackage. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Cabal/Survival - HaskellWiki". HaskellWiki. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "How we might abolish Cabal Hell". Well-Typed - The Haskell Consultants. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "[Haskell-cafe] ANN: Cabal v1.18.0 released". Haskell-cafe mailing list. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Stackage Server". FP Complete. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "ANNOUNCING: first public beta of stack". FP Complete. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "What do Haskellers want? Over a thousand tell us".
Package management with cabal is the single worst aspect of using Haskell. Asked if improvements to package management would make a difference to their future choice of Haskell for a project, 38% said it would be "crucial" and a further 29% said it would be "important". Comments connected cabal with words like hell, pain, awful, sucks, frustrating, and hideous. Only this topic showed such grave dissatisfaction.
External links
- Official website
- "The Haskell Cabal: A Common Architecture for Building Applications and Tools" -(the original proposal and specification, by Isaac Jones, Simon Peyton Jones, Simon Marlow, Malcolm Wallace, and Ross Patterson; a version was submitted to the Haskell Workshop, 2005)
- Cabal talk -(slides)
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