A static package list is a package
list which is available in the Ports Collection either as a
pkg-plist
file (with or without variable
substitution), or embedded into the
Makefile
via
PLIST_FILES
,
PLIST_DIRS
, and
PLIST_DIRSTRY
. Even if the contents are
auto-generated by a tool or a target in the Makefile
before the inclusion into the Ports
Collection by a committer, this is still considered a static
list, since it is possible to examine it without having to
download or compile the distfile.
A dynamic package list is a package
list which is generated at the time the port is compiled based
upon the files and directories which are installed. It is not
possible to examine it before the source code of the ported
application is downloaded and compiled, or after running a
make clean
.
While the use of dynamic package lists is not forbidden, maintainers should use static package lists wherever possible, as it enables users to grep(1) through available ports to discover, for example, which port installs a certain file. Dynamic lists should be primarily used for complex ports where the package list changes drastically based upon optional features of the port (and thus maintaining a static package list is infeasible), or ports which change the package list based upon the version of dependent software used (e.g., ports which generate docs with Javadoc).
Note that the makeplist
target can
be used for ports that support staging to display the package
list.
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