Re: [boost] [SVN]Best Practices for developers using SVN

From: Ames, Andreas (Andreas) (ames_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-08-03 05:31:33

> -----Original Message-----
> From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden] 
> [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Thomas Witt
> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 2:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [boost] [SVN]Best Practices for developers using SVN
> 
> Robert Ramey wrote:
> > 
> > Obviously Beman's proposal does not (and cannot) address 
> every problem.  The
> > criteria for acceptance of the proposal is whether it 
> improves things.
> > At this point there shouldn't be too much doubt that it will.
> > 
> 
> I can't help but think this is funny. In a sad way actually. 
> The release managers for the 
> last two major releases have independently expressed serious 
> doubt. This claim is ludicrous.

This process vs. tools discussion remembers the dispute about
waterfall vs. agile, hardware development vs. software development ...

What's rather interesting is that the roles are normally alloted the
other way around (at least in my experience): managers do want more
process, (software) developers do want more tools (and less process,
because it usually just kills creativity).

One reason may be that at least two orthogonal aspects are mixed in
this thread: getting a release out of the door in reasonable time and
with reasonable effort, OTOH making developers confident that they can
easily fix their component, even if changes in other libs, they depend
on, break them (e.g. to get their components out of the blame list
ASAP) and thus making them confident and capable to change their
component with ease.

Thus my stance is: add and fix the tools, *and* (cautiously) fix the 
process because this solves two different problems.

> Thomas
> 
> PS: Have you ever managed the release of a large open source
> project?

That's not a factual argument but an argument by authority and thus
unfair.  Have you ever developed a popular (at least counting related
posts on boost-user) open source lib like Boost.Serialization?

cheers,

aa

--
Andreas Ames | Programmer | Comergo GmbH | ames AT avaya DOT com
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