Re: [boost] Losing history (Was: [git] Boost.Build location_

Subject: Re: [boost] Losing history (Was: [git] Boost.Build location_
From: Tim Blechmann (tim_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-12-28 08:43:00

>> > I'm sorry but projects way bigger and complext than boost handle entire history
>> > and use full code (Linux... for example)
> Right, but those projects aren't being split into hundreds of individual modules
> which will often coexist in separate repositories on the same machine.  Always
> storing the full history of all of Boost in each of those individual repositories
> doesn't make sense.  Part of the point of this transition is to make development
> less encumbered for everyone, and that would have the opposite effect.

isn't there a middle way between `lose all history' and `keep all
history'? i didn't follow the whole discussion, but from my
understanding the new layout for a lib `foo` is basically the content of
libs/foo and boost/foo moved to include/boost/foo.

so isn't it possible to rewrite the history in a way to keep the the old
history, but filter out everything which is not in libs/foo or
boost/foo? then each modular repository would have only the history
relevant for that specific lib.

it will require some `git filter-branch` magic, but in theory it should
work. something like:
* git-svn to import the full trunk
* git filter-branch --index-filter '${remove everything except libs/foo
and boost/foo}'
* git mv boost libs/foo/include
* git mv libs/foo .

that should leave the resulting repository at an acceptable size, but
keep the history that is relevant for the individual modules ... has
this been considered or are there arguments against this approach?

tim