Re: VC commit missing ChangeLog message

[Dan Nicolaescu <dann@ics.uci.edu>]

Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:

  > On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:45:32 -0800 (PST) Dan Nicolaescu <dann@ics.uci.edu> wrote: 
  > 
  > DN> Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com> writes:
  > >> On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:58:34 -0800 (PST) Dan Nicolaescu <dann@ics.uci.edu> wrote: 
  > 
  > DN> It could and it should, just nobody has done the work yet to do it...
  > DN> If you are interested, it can be done `vc-checkin' by initializing the
  > DN> `initial-contents' parameter before the call to `vc-start-log-entry'.
  > >> 
  > >> Wouldn't it be easier to do it by calling the function directly?  
  > 
  > DN> Not sure what your question is... What I described is one way to
  > DN> initialize the contents of the *VC-log* buffer.
  > 
  > There's a function that will do it (`C-c C-a' ==
  > log-edit-insert-changelog), I'm trying to find out if it's easier to
  > always call that function when setting up the *VC-log* buffer than use
  > initial-contents as you suggested.  It seems so to me, and Stefan
  > suggested it too.

Sorry, I don't know which version would be easier.

If you are interested in improving this area, please also look at one of
the TODO items in vc.el:

;; - When vc-next-action calls vc-checkin it could pre-fill the
;;   *VC-log* buffer with some obvious items: the list of files that
;;   were added, the list of files that were removed.  If the diff is
;;   available, maybe it could even call something like
;;   `diff-add-change-log-entries-other-window' to create a detailed
;;   skeleton for the log...
;;


  > >> Or do you mean I can insert the commented lines I suggested as well
  > >> that way?
  > 
  > DN> If you add those comments, you'd need to add some post-processing to
  > DN> make sure they get removed before checking in, so it might not be the
  > DN> best idea.
  > 
  > It's for user convenience, so I think it's a good idea.  It's just
  > modifying log-edit-done at the beginning--it already does removal of
  > trailing empty lines, so this is pretty easy.  Simply go to point-min
  > and then remove all the lines that match "^;;;".  I can write and test
  > it unless you or someone else think it's a problem.

If you are going to add the ChangeLog entries by default, then why
bother with adding the text ?

IMO adding text is inconvenient to users: they either have to read it,
or they might think they have to delete it so that it does not get
checked in.  
It would be nice to be able to insert text that is not part
of the buffer, like in the header line, but that is a single line
unfortunately :-(