Spec: Define "Project" or "Package"

[carmenbianca]

Thread: #23 (comment)

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@silverhook

Defining this is a tough one, as in the (free) software world a “project” is quite different than what a project is in more traditional contexts. Would warmly recommend someone else to take a look as well. I remember @ohnewein pointing this out before, so he might have a good idea.

Perhaps something in the lines of:

- Project --- A repository or archive of source code, ………

…or we just skip the definition and rely on the fact that a “open source project” as an established term in the business.

@carmenbianca

I don't think we can skip defining that, because it's such a central term.

"Project" is the only word I know for "the directory containing all the source files for a given program".

@goneall

In SPDX we use the term package for describing a set of files related to a distribution. This would include the source files for a given program but could also include other related files.

@silverhook

Package may indeed be more accurate. Especially, if we could piggy-back on SPDX Spec here. @goneall, I can’t find where “Package” itself (as opposed to “Package Information”, “Package Name”, “Package Version”, etc.) is specified in SPDX Spec though. Am I missing something?

@goneall

I also looked for a definition in the spec and did not see a concise definition of a package. I do recall discussing this at length during the spec development. Something we may want to add to the spec.

@silverhook

in that case, I think it would be best if both projects use the same definition, until SPDX adopts it in a published spec. Then REUSE can simply refer to that definition.

[carmenbianca]

spdx/spdx-spec#125

[silverhook]

spdx/spdx-spec#129 (i.e. the pull request solving 125) looks very usable to me. Great work everyone.

[carmenbianca]

Used the SPDX definition in 687353e