Re: [boost] DCVS vs CVS: call for constructivism

Subject: Re: [boost] DCVS vs CVS: call for constructivism
From: Gottlob Frege (gottlobfrege_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-03-23 03:50:24

  I have a question for the git (or hg) people. Maybe the concrete
situation will shed some light on some of the issues (or maybe I'll just
get some help and stop pulling what's left of my hair out).

I'm working on code.cpp and morecode.cpp. At the same time, I am writing
scripts like review.sh (makes git work better with code collaborator) and,
say, custom_make.bat.

I am going back and forth on these as needed. In particular, as the cpp
files get in shape I commit, and maybe post something for review. We leads
me to change review.sh. Or as I get things working, I modify
custom_build.bat.

To me, once done, these are separate commits/branches/features/changelists
(whatever you want to call them). But while working on them, I don't want
to flip between branches - I find I'm always changing something in the
wrong branch when I try separate branches. ie I change code.cpp while in
the "scripts" branch.

And it is often more than 2 things I am working on. And sometimes (not
usually) they are at least somewhat related - ie code.cpp depends on
yourstuff.h, and I need to make a small fix in yourstuff.h. In the end,
that fix will be separate, but until i know it is correct, it tends to stay
mixed with my other work. Now maybe the dependency case is different, I
don't know. (obviously at the end of the day, the order of dependent
changes needs to be pushed correctly).

So basically, in something like perforce, I can group the files into
changelists, and then forget about it until something is completely done
and ready to commit. I understand I'm losing other features (small commits,
being able to easily set it all aside, etc), but this is my common
workflow.

Should I do everything on a messy "work" branch and just sort it out when I
am ready to push? Should I keep the features in separate branches, but pull
from branch to branch all the time? (I don't think I want to spend that
much time with the RCS. I like forgetting about it most of the time.)

Am I just doing it wrong? (And did any of this make any sense?)

Tony

Sent from my portable Analytical Engine