Re: need help understanding underlying file format for cvs

[Mark D. Baushke]

Derek Robert Price <derek@ximbiot.com> writes:

> Ronald Petty wrote:
> 
> >I have another question about browsing over pserver.  I have seen hacks
> >for it and whatnot, but what is the plan (if any) to make cvs have some
> >protocol to do remote browsing.  And local browsing.  I know you can add
> >modules and do cvs co -c but if you want to see the rest you have to
> >know the actual file.  Maybe when you do cvs import it can add a module
> >entry for you?  But that still doesn't help with local/remote file
> >browsing.  I am doing it all in php and would hope one day I could do
> >cvs ls or something.
> >
> >Thanks again everyone.
> >Ron
> >
> 
> There are no current plans to implement `cvs ls' that I know of.

I suppose it may happen if the cvsnt.org extensions are ever rolled back
into the cvshome.org sources. I believe they already have a 'cvs ls'
command implemented. I think it reads the remote CVS/Entries file or
something like that. I have never used it, so I am not sure of the
details.

There is/was an unofficial patch from Dan Rich to add a list
functionality to the remote protocol. Let me see... Ah, yes, here is the
reference: http://www.cvshome.org/cyclic/cvs/dev-list.html
and here is his proposed patch:
http://www.cvshome.org/cyclic/cvs/dev-list.txt
 
> I, personally, would not be adverse, but I would like to see some
> discussion around any proposed patch to convince me that the approach
> is correct.  Feel free to evaluate and discuss the existing patches.
> 
> I think having import add entries to the modules file is the wrong way
> to go.

I do not believe hacking the modules file when something is imported is
the right appraoch for this feature.

I think I would much rather see the remote protocol extended with a list
keyword as per the Dan Rich patch then see hacks added to the modules file.

        Enjoy!
        -- Mark