Re: [boost] SVN workflow (Was: Maintenance suspended)

Subject: Re: [boost] SVN workflow (Was: Maintenance suspended)
From: John Maddock (boost.regex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-07-09 07:01:45

>> I tried, I really did, to resolve the trunk and release branches of my 
>> libraries for the upcoming
>> release.  But the truth is that I'm finding Boost's current 
>> interdependent structure and the
>> sluggishness of SVN on a project of our size just makes everything too 
>> hard to do.
>
> Maybe, you could describe your SVN workflow? While SVN certainly could be 
> a bit faster, I find
> that since server upgrade to 1.6 and first merge with 1.6, subsequent 
> merges take less time that I
> need to deal with a cup of tea. And it's once per release cycle.

Hmmm, I'm still finding merges very slow for large trees - Boost.Math takes 
a good hour or more to merge for example - I would expect Boost.Python to be 
the same.

That said, I only merge when I've accumulated enough changes to make a 
"release" for that library worthwhile, and it's not like I have to hold it's 
hand or anything while the merge is going on.  So it's basically 5 minutes 
and then get on with something else, then when the merge is complete I 
visually inspect the diff and run the tests on the release branch - again 
the latter can take quite a while, but again it's just a case of fire off 
the command and then leave it to it.  So the amount of my time spent on 
merging is very minimal, provided of course you're not in a hurry and don't 
desperately need the machine cycles for something else.   This also assuming 
you're doing a "bring the release branch into synch with Trunk" kind of 
merge - I haven't tried merging specific patches or revisions - I assume 
that would take rather more figuring out.

John.