Re: [Monotone-devel] Re: Problems with _MTN/tmp

[Johan Bolmsjö]

On Wednesday 31 May 2006 20.41, Steven E. Harris wrote:
> Johan Bolmsjö <address@hidden> writes:
> > You have to be very anal about storing config specs if you want to
> > be able to recreate a build that you sent to some one.
>
> True, to a point: In the system I describe, our config specs were
> written out by a script, with configuration data for the script itself
> stored as versioned files in the repository. However, you are correct
> that one needs some means of recreating a missing config
> spec. Labeling versions across a view at significant moments makes it
> easier to create a fresh config spec later to recall that state.
>
> > Just being able to do "mtn propagate foo bar" to rebase is a
> > blessing.
>
> Bringing this back to monotone, are you suggesting that propagating
> from one branch to another yields similar functionality to the
> ClearCase model I described? Now that I think about it, you have a
> point: the end result is about the same. It's just harder to tell what
> the minimal set of differences are between the two branches.

I'm sorry I get all fire and brimstone when clearcase comes up. I have to use 
it every day at work. ClearCase can do everything, but I think one uses a VCS 
in a way that is convenient for that VCS. If one comes from ClearCase, it's 
very common to overlay branches like this and maybe use some file from a 
certain branch/version and so on. However I feel that the common operations 
takes a long time to execute and are error prone.

1) Rebase
2) Merge back
3) Tag files

When you rebase/merge in ClearCase things can go wrong if you don't have the 
correct CS. Always having to hunt down the CS to be able to rebase is very 
painfull. I think it's much smarter (but not as flexible) to bind relations 
with other branches to a branch in a certain revision (I know clearcase is 
file based). Also the fact that when you check out something from a branch in 
monotone and many non-clearcase VCS's you get a consistant snapshot. In 
clearcase you have to use labels for this. LATEST will not do.

Tagging files take a long time, even if you don't use the find command.

My previous reply was of course OT, sorry for that, and maybe not relevant to 
your initial mail.

/Johan