Re: [boost] 1.34 Release Plan - an alternative view

From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-02-01 12:38:50

David Abrahams wrote:
>    How do you make a release that's exactly like some other release
>    except for the addition of bug fixes, when other non-bug-fix
>    material has been checked into the HEAD?

If the HEAD is always maintained in "releaseable" state you won't
want to do such a thing.  Of course you could branch from a previous
version - but in practice I wouldn't expect one to want to.

This idea presumes and depends upon the existence of an on-demand facility 
for testing
on branches.  This same facility could be used to test a "point release".

However, a main motivation for this idea is the elimination of the need
for "point release". If the "trunk"  (HEAD in the current setup) is
maintained in a releaseable state,  any need for a "point release" would
be addressed by just downloading the latest "releaseable" version.

The main requirements/obstacles to such a system are:

a) a decent source control system - this is no problem.  Maybe some other 
system would be better, but CVS is plenty good enough to work here.

b) a faciltiy for testing branches/libraries on demand.  This facility would 
be used to specific libraries on branches durring library developement and 
be applied to the trunk for all libraries before the trunk is marked as 
"releaseable".  Currently we don't have anything like this.

c) automatic generatation of "release package" from a releaseable trunk. 
Currently, we don't have this either.

Robert Ramey