Re: [boost] [git] neglected aspects

Subject: Re: [boost] [git] neglected aspects
From: David A. Greene (dag_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-02-09 17:24:37

Beren Minor <beren.minor+boost_at_[hidden]> writes:

> On Thu, Feb 9, 2012 at 12:07 PM, Tim Blechmann <tim_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> for a project like boost, i'd therefore suggest to avoid submodules. the
>> advantage however is that the full git repository of boost is few hundred mb
>> ...
>
> Submodules are probably misunderstood and misused most of the time. I
> think it was not meant to be used to have separate repositories for
> sub-part of the projects and a everything evolving together in sync. I
> see the use of submodules more like integrators would do, retrieving
> specific revisions of various sub projects, and testing these versions
> alltogether. Whenever parts integrates well, the submodule versions
> that work fine together are frozen in a commit.
> This is not very usable if you try to develop directly in the "main"
> repository that has the submodules.

I think that's right.

> For Boost, I would say it could be used and even a powerful tool for
> integrating libraries together, testing them and managing release
> lifecycle, but could hardly be used for day to day library
> development.

I would recommend using git-subtree.  It's the submodule-like tool more
appropriate for what boost is: a collection of project units that can be
built and tested independently but also make sense as a cohesive whole.

git-subtree is getting integrated into the official git repository now
and should be available in the next month or two.  Of you you can always
get it here:

https://github.com/apenwarr/git-subtree

                                 -Dave