RE: Checkout inconsistencies -- known bug?

[Douglas Finkle]

> >Directory hierarchy (InstallShield project) checked into CVS 
> >filled with a few files, but mostly empty directories. The
> >directory hierarchy is required by InstallShield, not me.
> 
> Empty directories are not supported well in CVS. If your project
> requires some empty directory structure to always check out, 
> you have to put some dummy files into the leaf directories
> of that structure.

Yeah, it's inconsistent to be sure-- but that's why I was 
questioning the behavior. :) Dummy files also work, but it's
an ugly solution, IMHO.

> >Problem:
> >On the trunk everything checks out complete w/ various empty dirs,
> >and all is fine.  On a branch however, the module checks out up to
> >the point where the last file (i.e. non-directory) entry exists
> >leaving multiple empty, but required, directories unchecked out.
> 
> People I work with have reported similar behavior when 
> checking out to a tagged release; directories did not get created 
> even though -P pruning was not turned on. I think it happens because 
> the tag, be it a version or branch tag, does not exist in the empty 
> directories.

Hmmm, it seems to me if this were true then 'cvs up -d' would yield
nothing, but in fact it does.

> The solution is to use those dummy files, because you want 
> those certain empty directories to show up no matter what, even 
> if pruning is specified.

Yes, this is a workaround. Same goes for running a 'mkdir' script
in a makefile, same for 'cvs up -d', but none fix the problem. The
desired behavior seems to come w/ CVS for free, i.e. main trunk
behavior-- it's only on the branch that the workaround seems necessary.

Thoughts?