[wpkg-users] Multiple programs depend on fast-iterating package

[neilr8133]

Good [morning|afternoon|evening],

I've been scratching my head over this and would appreciate some feedback:


I have PROG1, PROG2, PROG3 that depend on Java being installed first.  I currently have package  "java_jre7u3"  so my first reaction is to have Prog1-3 use  <depend package-id="java_jre7u3" />  However, that would cause problems as soon as Java iterates:

* I'd have to update the packages for Prog 1-3 to reflect dependency on the new version (which would trigger re-install of the apps because the package changed, even though the apps themselves hadn't been modified)
* Hard-coding a version-specific dependency into multiple files requires that I remember to update all of them every time I iterate Java

I considered having the programs Depend on a package named "java" which would in turn Depend on jre7u3, but that means some acrobatics so that "java" would know if it was successful or not (or else it runs every time and always reports a failure).  (I can also see a possible problem if WPKG monitors all "depend" files for changes and if one of them is updated considers the entire package modified, thus triggering the same Prog1-3 reinstall as if I had modified those packages directly.)


The "best" option I've come up with so far is to set the current JRE to a fairly high priority level so it gets installed before almost anything else, but that requires I remember to add Java separately to any profile that requires it even indirectly, and doesn't feel very bullet-proof.


What am I missing?


Thanks,

-Neil