Single .cs file delivery for c# library projects. about barcodelib

[barnhill]

I dont care that you use it as its open source and free. I do not recommend doing this from a maintenance standpoint. It pretty much goes against modular and sensible design but I guess everyone has a need.

If you copy this code into a single .cs file how do you get updates when I change something or fix a bug? See how this is not maintainable AT ALL? The reason dependencies are used in applications is so you dont have to maintain the code that someone else already wrote. Im not really sure what this buys someone to put it all in a single file.

[AnthonyVO]

If you copy this code into a single .cs file how do you get updates when I change something or fix a bug?

That is the reason for the program. If I did this by hand then you are correct, it would be insane.

Because the code always builds an identical structure, then I can easily diff between them to see the changes. I just watch for a new release, grab a copy and convert it to a single file. I can then easily diff the versions. In some ways it is even easier because all of your project's changes are in one file. I could even follow code moves between files.

The BIGGEST thing this buys me is that I don't need to convert my project to a different framework version. This frees both you and I to make our own project container choices. I have a specific need that ties me to 4.5.2.

The second item this buys me is that my project structure and build process is now simpler and fail safe.

You may disagree but I have had plenty of experience with distributed code and the very painful results when things don't go as planned. This includes unexpected / uncaught updates that totally trashed builds, updates that schlepped in a whole new raft of dependencies, hosted dependencies that simply disappeared (LeftPad... https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/23/npm_left_pad_chaos/), etc... All of which have cost me lots of unexpected time, usually when I least had time time available.

I am a firm believer in the KISS principle. My translation = (Keep it Stupidly Simple).

[barnhill]

Im also a believer in the KISS method ... this just causes you more work to stay up to date with dependencies. This type of dependency management just does not scale, takes lots of work to update each dependency ... for no real benefit.

You can keep your dependencies at a certain version and it wont get auto updated till you tell it to use a newer version of that dependency.

Ill close with this question. In a project that has 20+ dependencies (and a common run of the mill Android application will) ... would you do this for every one of those?