pkg.go.dev: redirect URL for latest major version or big red warning for old version

[twp...@gmail.com]

Is there a way to get an unchanging URL that always redirects to the latest major version of a package on pkg.go.dev?

Right now, if I go to

  https://pkg.go.dev/$PACKAGE_NAME

I get the documentation for either v0 or v1 of a package, which is out of date if there's a more recent major version.

What I would like is a URL that given $PACKAGE_NAME always redirects to the latest major version of that package. For example, a URL something like

  https://pkg.go.dev/$PACKAGE_NAME@latest

which would redirect to

  https://pkg.go.dev/$PACKAGE_NAME/v2

if the latest major version of $PACKAGE_NAME is v2.

The reasons for this request are:

1. I'm usually using the latest version of the package, and so I want to see the docs for the most recent version.

2. If users stumble across documentation for an old major version by default then there's a risk that they'll use or evaluate the old major version by default. Usually there's a good reason why users should not be using the old major version.

Right now, pkg.go.dev displays a tiny black text on a grey background line at the top of  the page that says something like:

  The highest tagged major version is v61.

See https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/google/go-github for an example. This is extremely easy to miss. Alternatively, this banner should be in big red letters - if you're using this version of the module then you're probably doing something wrong.

If there's support for this new URL and/or the banner usability improvement, then I'd be happy to contribute a fix.

Thoughts?

Regards,

Tom

[Jason Phillips]

If a major version is truly obsolete the maintainers can deprecate it. In which case the pkg.go.dev UI stands out a bit more. Take for example: github.com/golang/protobuf/proto.

[Tom Payne]

I see this working for modules, but not major versions.

For example the whole github.com/golang/protobuf module is deprecated:

  https://github.com/golang/protobuf/blob/75de7c059e36b64f01d0dd234ff2fff404ec3374/go.mod#L1

However, there are is no deprecation message for github.com/google/go-github:

  https://github.com/google/go-github/blob/b603120bf932e99e8cc0a9fab0693fa6b5f92c4d/go.mod

Is there any way for google/go-github add a deprecation message for their v0/v1/.../v60 major versions?

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[Jason Phillips]

> I see this working for modules, but not major versions.

I'm not sure I see the distinction, a new major version is a new module.

> Is there any way for google/go-github add a deprecation message for their v0/v1/.../v60 major versions?

Sure, the maintainers could add the deprecation comment to all of those modules. I'm not sure that would actually benefit the project, though? From the "Version Compatibility Table" in the README, it seems like major versions going back to at least v48.2.0 "work" with the current Github API.