multi-package dependency management

[silence-code]

cargo should support multi-package dependency management, just like the tag provided by maven

[silence-code]

cargo should support multi-package dependency management, just like the 'dependencyManagement' tag provided by maven

[ehuss]

Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with Maven. From what I understand, dependencyManagement provides a way to force a version when a transitive dependency does not specify a version, is that correct? Can you include more information about your use case, and what it would do?

Generally using * versions in Cargo is to be avoided (crates.io doesn't allow publishing with it). Also, there are mechanisms like [patch] to change the versions selected. There's also #5471 which would provide a way to set some default dependencies in a workspace, which is kinda similar.

[ehuss]

Without more information, I'm going to close this. If you have a more detailed proposal, feel free to leave a comment.

[mknet]

The idea of the dependencyManagement in Maven is do define a specific version of a dependency at a central place of a multi package/module project. An idea could be to provide the versions of the dependency in the Cargo.toml / Virtual Manifest and just add the name of the crate to the sub Cargo.toml.

For instance:

Cargo.toml

[workspace]

members = [
    "a",
    "b"
]

[dependencies.diesel]
version = "1.4.4"

a/Cargo.toml

[package]
name = "a"

[dependencies]
diesel = "something to mark that we want to use the version defined in the super Cargo.toml"

[ehuss]

@mknet You may be interested in RFC 2906 which provides workspace dependencies.

[mknet]

@ehuss You are absolutely right! I am interested. :) Thanks for sharing.