Do you want to make `--json` obsolete or not?

[Whathecode]

In release 5.3.1 it was announced that --json will be deprecated eventually:

New --output-format Parameter (Replaces --json) – A new --output-format parameter has been added, allowing explicit selection of output format (json, xml, unsafejson, or auto).
⚠️ The previously used --json flag is now deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Use --format json instead for the same behavior—with more flexibility.

In the release notes of 6.0.0 it is announced as a breaking change:

Removed --json/-j flag (replaced by --output-format json)

But, the release includes a GitHub Copilot Agent commit rolling back that decision:

Restore --json parameter for backward compatibility

• Reintroduced --json flag as deprecated alias for --output-format json
• Maintains compatibility with existing GitHub Actions and CI/CD pipelines
• Updated CHANGELOG.md to document the restoration

... adding it as a "fix" the the CHANGELOG, without removing the claim that removing it is a breaking change. The "fix" documentation didn't make it into the final release notes (only the breaking change announcement), so I guess somebody removed it.

Please don't let Copilot make architectural decision without thorough oversight. 😮‍💨 My two cents: I think deprecating it was a good decision, and it was announced up front and well-documented. Get rid of the tech debt. 🙌

[mtsfoni]

Ah, to make this clear: It is still deprecated and will be removed. The enum is definitively the better way.

Unfortunately, there is a GitHub action for cyclonedx-dotnet that always installs the latest version and calls it with --json and --out. I only realized that when I was about to release. I think that's not how it should be, but prioritized to get the .NET 10 version out at that point.

Long story short: I first need to fix that action before I can retire --json for good.

But --json will be removed.

I'll look into making the changelog/release message clearer.

And no, I do not let Copilot make architectural decisions.

[Whathecode]

I'll look into making the changelog/release message clearer.

Then it's just about removing the breaking change and the mentioned fix in the release notes. ;) It's just noise.

It's a bit unfortunate, because technically I guess that means you need another major version bump once you do actually remove it fully. 🤷‍♂️

Thank you for clarifying. 🙏