Bug#465140: debian-policy: clarify when to use alternatives

[David Paleino <d.paleino@gmail.com>]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.7.3.0
Severity: normal

Policy 10.1 isn't really clear on when to use alternatives:

/---
| Two different packages must not install programs with different functionality
| but with the same filenames. (The case of two programs having the same
| functionality but different implementations is handled via "alternatives" or
| the "Conflicts" mechanism.
\---

Please specify "same API" as well as "same functionality".

A discussion [1] on debian-devel about libtranslate-bin and translate suggested
that alternatives should be used only when, in case of libraries, the same API
is provided, no matter if they offer more or less the same functionalities.

Kindly,
David

[1] http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2008/02/msg00372.html

-- 
 . ''`.  Debian maintainer | http://wiki.debian.org/DavidPaleino
 : :'  : Linuxer #334216 --|-- http://www.hanskalabs.net/
 `. `'`  GPG: 1392B174 ----|---- http://snipr.com/qa_page
   `-   2BAB C625 4E66 E7B8 450A C3E1 E6AA 9017 1392 B174