Re: Bootstrap deleted DOC-nnn file

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@xemacs.org>]

Richard Stallman writes:

 > Another use of not deleting the old executables and DOC files
 > is that I would be able to tell, roughly, when I got the sources
 > last.

"make install" (to someplace other than where I put my "system" emacs)
is my friend here.

Also, bisection on the bzr trunk[1] is usually quite precise about
identifying when a bug was introduced.  It's often slower in clock
time (has to rebuild every tested version), but it can be quite
automated so a much lower burden on the developer's attention in many
cases.

Once again, I think you are the unusual developer here.  You'll have
to judge how important preserving your practices is, but I doubt
you have much company.  The practices I mention above require very
little developer effort once they become habit.  Again, the cost of
changing your workflow is something you have to judge for yourself.

Footnotes: 
[1]  I thought bzr had a bisect command, but "bzr help bisect" comes
up nil.  Somebody must have a helper script or plugin, or you can roll
your own easily enough.