[m-dev.] proposal: extension to pragma obsolete

[Peter Wang]

On Tue, 9 Sep 2014 17:56:22 +1000 (EST), Julien Fischer <jfischer at opturion.com> wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 9 Sep 2014, Peter Wang wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, 9 Sep 2014 17:18:16 +1000 (EST), Julien Fischer <jfischer at opturion.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> The main question I have is what should the second argument actually be.  There
> >> are three proposals below: (1) use a string literal, (2) use a list of string
> >> literals or (3) make (some of) the functionality of the error_util library
> >> available so we can mark up the warning messages.
> >>
> >>      (1) :- pragma obsolete(bar.baz/2, "Use predicate `bar.baz_to_int'/2 instead.").
> >>      (2) :- pragma obsolete(bar.baz/2, ["Use predicate",
> >>           "`bar.baz_to_int'/2 instead"]).
> >>      (3) :- pragma obsolete(bar.baz/2, [words("Use predicate"), sym_name_and_arity("bar.baz_to_int", 2),
> >>         words("instead.")]).
> >
> > I think it's unnecessary, as a comment on the predicate declaration is
> > fine.
> 
> Experience would suggest that's the one place people never look ... ;-)

I don't see why not?  If the user doesn't already know the preferred
replacement for an obsolete predicate then the documentation is the
obvious place to look.

Peter