[Insight-developers] Problem with ITK_SOURCE_DIR var in ITKConfig.cmake.in

[Stephen R. Aylward]

Removing bugs actually does need to be backward compatible.

For example, right now the ITK registration framework incorrectly 
handles image orientation.  We are fixing it, but the default behavior 
(although incorrect) will be unchanged.  You'll need to change a cmake 
variable to apply the fix.

As you've now seen - some people rely on things that in an evolving 
system can subsequently be called bugs.

Stephen

Mathieu Malaterre wrote:
> Hi Stephen,
> 
>   As far as I understand removing bugs do not need to be backward
> compatible. ITK_SOURCE_DIR was pointing to non-existant directory
> anyway. I don't even understand in which case it was returning
> something useful.
> 
>   It was discussed on the dev mailing list right after 3.4 so this has
> never been part of any release. If you still feel that it should be
> back for 3.6, please let me know. But again this is undocumented
> 'feature' and high on the 'shoot yourself in the foot' list.
> 
> Regards,
> -Mathieu
> 
> On 10/18/07, Stephen R. Aylward <Stephen.Aylward at kitware.com> wrote:
>> Regardless, this broke backward compatibility.
>>
>> ITK's backward compatibility policy MUST also apply to its CMake files.
>>
>> Perhaps there was a really good reason for doing it, and it wasn't
>> removed just because it was "bad" - but regardless, this should have
>> been posted to the developers and users list, included in a CHANGES.txt
>> file, and announced in every viable way to keep these questions from
>> arising.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>> Mathieu Malaterre wrote:
>>> On 10/18/07, Thomas Feuvrier <thomas.feuvrier at c-s.cnes.fr> wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>>
>>>> In the new version of ITK (3.4.0), we saw that the ITK_SOURCE_DIR
>>>> variable in ITKConfig.cmake.in has disapeared ! It's important for us,
>>>> becasue without this variable, my project (OTB) can't use the latest ITK
>>>> version. Is it an error ?
>>> Yes this is an error to use this variable. When importing an ITK
>>> build/install tree you should *not* rely on ITK_SOURCE_DIR since it
>>> would in general point to a non existant directory or worse to a
>>> different ITK than the one you are importing.
>>>
>>> HTH,
>> --
>> =============================================================
>> Stephen R. Aylward, Ph.D.
>> Chief Medical Scientist
>> Kitware, Inc. - Chapel Hill Office
>> http://www.kitware.com
>> Phone: (518)371-3971 x300
>>
> 
> 

-- 
=============================================================
Stephen R. Aylward, Ph.D.
Chief Medical Scientist
Kitware, Inc. - Chapel Hill Office
http://www.kitware.com
Phone: (518)371-3971 x300