From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Miles Bader Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: commit style redux Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:21:20 +0900 Message-ID: Reply-To: Miles Bader NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1238469746 24102 80.91.229.12 (31 Mar 2009 03:22:26 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:22:26 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Tue Mar 31 05:23:44 2009 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1LoUZj-0006X4-Tq for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:23:44 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:40509 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LoUYM-0000Eb-BF for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:22:18 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LoUXc-0008Fh-Jt for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:21:32 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1LoUXY-00089x-4L for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:21:32 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=52455 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1LoUXX-00089l-US for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:21:27 -0400 Original-Received: from tyo201.gate.nec.co.jp ([202.32.8.193]:50844) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1LoUXU-0004cP-Hu; Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:21:25 -0400 Original-Received: from relay31.aps.necel.com ([10.29.19.54]) by tyo201.gate.nec.co.jp (8.13.8/8.13.4) with ESMTP id n2V3LLQp020346; Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:21:21 +0900 (JST) Original-Received: from relay11.aps.necel.com ([10.29.19.16] [10.29.19.16]) by relay31.aps.necel.com with ESMTP; Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:21:21 +0900 Original-Received: from dhlpc061 ([10.114.112.72] [10.114.112.72]) by relay11.aps.necel.com with ESMTP; Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:21:21 +0900 Original-Received: by dhlpc061 (Postfix, from userid 31295) id 40A4952E26D; Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:21:21 +0900 (JST) System-Type: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu Blat: Foop Original-Lines: 53 X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: Solaris 8 (1) X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:109941 Archived-At: Hmm, so since Emacs is going to move to a real source-control system in the near(ish) future, maybe people could start trying to use a commit-style which is more friendly to such systems? Not only is this good practice for the future, but it also creates a much nicer change history when the CVS repo is converted to the new system (and even now, for people currently tracking Emacs via other systems). E.g., -- (1) Commit all changed files at once with a single log message (which in CVS will result in an identical log message for all committed files), not one-by-one. This is pretty easy using vc-dir now. (2) Make the log message describe the entire changeset, perhaps including relevant changelog entiries (I often don't bother with the latter if it's a trivial sort of change). Many modern source-control systems vaguely distinguish the first line of the log message to use as a short summary for abbreviated history listing (in arch this was explicitly called the summary, but many other systems have a similar concept). So it's nice if you can format the log entry like: SHORTISH ONE-LINE SUMMARY MULTIPLE-LINE DETAILED DESCRIPTION POSSIBLY INCLUDING (OR CONSISTING OF) CHANGELOG ENTRIES [Even with CVS this style is useful, because web CVS browsing interfaces often include the first N words of the log message of the most recent commit as a short "most recent change" description.] (3) Don't phrase log messages assuming the filename is known, because in non-file-oriented systems (everything modern other than CVS), the log listing tends to be treated as global information, and the connection with specific files is less explicit. For instance, currently I often see log messages like "Regenerate"; for modern source-control systems with a global log, it's better to have something like "Regenerate configure". I know I'm always harping on this, but I figure with the change looming ever closer, I'll try again... :-) Thanks, -Miles -- `Life is a boundless sea of bitterness'