[IPython-dev] Bzr merge idiosyncracies...

[Fernando Perez]

On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 6:29 PM, Stéfan van der Walt <stefan at sun.ac.za> wrote:
> Hi Fernando
>
> 2008/6/4 Fernando Perez <fperez.net at gmail.com>:
>> since I remain concerned about the issue of how bzr handles history
>> with multiple merges, and how launchpad displays it, I went looking
>> around in the bazaar mailing list.  From there I ran into this, that
>> happened to be written today:
>>
>> http://vcscompare.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-mainline-merges-and-fast-forwards.html
>
> Interesting post.  As far as I recall, "bzr merge --pull" also does
> fast-forwarding.  I wonder if a person can set this to be the default
> behaviour.
>
> Ah, here's the article:
>
> http://jameswestby.net/weblog/bzr/01-revision-numbers.html

Wow.  And here's the problem (next to last paragraph):

The indentation of the merged commits (and the fact they disappear
with "--short" and "--line") means that mentally they become of lesser
importance. You see "merged performance work from Emma's branch",
rather than all of the commits that you got from her. They are still
there to look at if you want, but they can be ignored at most times.
/quote

I can't believe that this is actually something that bazaar considers
a 'feature' and they promote as a valid design point.  The fact that
you've merged someone else's work into your branch because you happen
to be a maintainer, for example, doesn't make their work in any way
'second class'.  I agree 100% percent with Linus here (post linked to
in the vcscompare post):

http://www.gelato.unsw.edu.au/archives/git/0611/31361.html


Oh well.  For me, what really matters right now is that we get the
hosting infrastructure of launchpad.  I'm less and less enamored with
bzr, but that's irrelevant.  We have much bigger fish to fry than
getting into a bzr-vs-git/hg decision.  We stick with bzr, warts and
all.

All I want to do is to find a workflow that we can use with minimal
pain.  If that means accomodating bzr's design flaws, so be it.  My
problem is that I haven't found that workflow yet, and I'm finding
myself fighting the tool.

I await enlightenment...

f