Re: [PATCH 2/2] emacs: Add interface for comparing generations.

[ludo@gnu.org (Ludovic Courtès)]

Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com> skribis:

> Ludovic Courtès (2014-11-02 20:59 +0300) wrote:
>
>> Alex Kost <alezost@gmail.com> skribis:
>>
>>> In short, now (with this patch) after marking 2 generations (by pressing
>>> "m" in a “generation-list” buffer), you can perform diff/ediff on
>>> generation packages or manifests.  Thanks to Ludovic for the idea.
>>
>> I just tried it, and I like it!
>>
>> There are cases where the output of ‘=’ is slightly confusing: the
>> buffers being compared don’t include the directory name of the packages,
>> so, when packages have been upgraded (different directory names, but
>> same version), it just says “no differences.”
>>
>> Perhaps the fix would be to add the directory names in the buffers being
>> diffed, in a format similar to that of ‘guix package -I’?
>
> Indeed, I added the store paths, thanks (the modified patch is attached).

Nice!

>> I have another case where C-u = shows that the only difference is the
>> addition of one package, but = shows a diff with only minuses, as if
>> everything had been removed.  Any idea what could be wrong?

I can’t seem to reproduce that problem.  I must have messed things up
before, sorry for the noise.

>> Also, s/The Emacs Editor/GNU Emacs Manual/, which is the real title of
>> the Emacs manual as it appears in the texi source.
>
> Oh, I thought it should be the title which appears in the info (I mean
> the first line in the Top node).
>
> Perhaps "s/The Emacs Editor/The GNU Emacs Manual/"?  As it's the most
> common (but not the one) variant in the Emacs Lisp manual, for example here:
> <http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/emacs.git/tree/doc/lispref/display.texi#n2065>

OK (I think they should add “The” in emacs.texi.)

> Also I used "The Emacs Editor" several times in “emacs.texi”.  Should I
> replace all instances in this patch or make a separate commit for that?

Yes, please.

> Just out of curiosity.  Do you usually prefer "diff" over "ediff"?
> (I find the latter much convenient)

The default behavior for ediff is to create another frame for control,
and that doesn’t work well with the tiling window manager I’m using.
Also, it’s really a mode that you enter and have to leave afterwards.
So I tend to prefer diff for simple diffs, and I resort to ediff in more
tricky situations (like when I have to compare two .drv files for
debugging, uh! ;-)).

Thanks,
Ludo’.