Re: using commitinfo and verifymsg

[Todd Denniston]

address@hidden wrote:
> 
> If a developer checks in multiple files in a single commit, is there anyway
> of finding out what all the files are using either bash or perl scripts on
> the cvs server?  I've tried using the 'cvs status' command in a bash script
> tied into the commitinfo file, but that only works on a directory by
> directory basis.  It may help if I give an overview of what I'm aiming to
> do:
> 
> We have a project which consists of a number of software components, the
> source for which is kept in separate subdirectories.  Each separate
> component has associated with it a history file, so each of the
> subdirectories has a history.txt file in it (sometimes at the top level,
> sometimes in a further subdirectory).  I want to use cvs to ensure that
> when a developer checks in a bunch of files, that he/she is also checking
> in an updated history file which gives an overview of his changes. 
<SNIP>
If you do not have policies that are carved in stone, you may be able to let
the programmers work smarter not harder.

Instead of attempting to make sure there is a history file in the directory,
why not make sure that there is history kept with each file that is changed?
Sounds like I am suggesting more work for the programer, but cvs makes this
less work than keeping the history file for the directory, IFF you can get the
programmer to make comments that are as good as s/he would have put in the
history.txt file.

use rcsinfo & verifymsg[1] to force the inclusion of bugfix numbers (if
needed) and a comment of the history.txt quality[2].  Then when the
history.txt files are needed, grab cvs2cl[3] and go to the head of a checked
out tree and issue `cvs2cl -d -f history.txt`.  I prefer to have it in one big
file most times and with revision & tag information, so I use `cvs2cl -r -t -b
-f ChangeLog.txt`.  You might want to try `cvs2cl -d -f
differentTypeOfhistory.txt` on your baseline now and see if it could be close
to what you need.


I have discussed[4][5] with others on the list ways these can be used to track
history, perhaps those discussions might be helpful to you as well.


[1]"Re: Verifymsg on branches?"Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2000 15:29:54
example rcsinfo & verifymsg
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-cvs/2000-11/msg00330.html

[2] you will probably need to write some bash/perl/C code that implements your
idea of how to mechanicaly guess if the programmer has entered a quality
comment, and then update it when they start figuring out how to trick your
rules (arms race), or beat them with a manger who will ask if they really want
to go back to making history.txt files.

[3] http://www.red-bean.com/cvs2cl/

[4]"Re: 2 "how to <> in CVS" questions"Date:  Fri, 16 Feb 2001 16:02:16 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-cvs/2001-02/msg00428.html

[5]"Re: Tags usage -- comments please"Date:  Mon, 14 Jun 2004 11:49:28 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-cvs/2004-06/msg00217.html

-- 
Todd Denniston
Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC Crane) 
Harnessing the Power of Technology for the Warfighter

The opinions expressed here are not sanctioned by and do not necessarily 
represent those of my employer.