Can we make NIOFoundationCompat depend on FoundationEssentials?

[t089]

Can we make NIOFoundationCompat only depend on FoundationEssentials?

Currently, unfortunately, I don't think we can as it provides convenience methods for types that are only available in full Foundation:

• JSONSerialization
• RunLoop

:( Would we need a NIOEssentialsCompat?

[Lukasa]

Essentially we can’t, because of the way Swift module imports leak. Until all those leaks are plugged, it is just not possible for us to ever remove an import without a semver major.

[weissi]

@Lukasa On a second thought with this one: Are there really places that import NIOFoundationCompat but not Foundation out in the real world? I agree that the effect is observable but I think that's a risk worth taking, especially if we communicate it well. (Assuming, of course, that NIOFoundationCompat doesn't depend on anything outside of FoundationEssentials).

[weissi]

Eh, bad news, in 2021 we introduced an extension to JSONSerialization which is not in FoundationEssentials.

I think this makes it a deal breaker until NIO 3.0, right?

[weissi]

@t089 / @Lukasa What are we doing here?

• Keep this for NIO 3 and create a new NIOFoundationEssentialsCompat?
• Close this one?

[Lukasa]

Hrm, @parkera is there any particularly reason JSONSerialization couldn't be moved into FoundationEssentials?

[Lukasa]

We could do NIOFoundationEssentialsCompat. Normally I'd be opposed to doing that, but in this rare instance I think we could justify it as NIO users tend to be unusually sensitive to their usage of Foundation.