[Monotone-devel] mtn cat vs. mtn automate get_file

[Thomas Keller]

Hi all!

I'm currently seeking my way through mtn's automate to implement a diff 
view for guitone. For that purpose, several things need to be done 
beforehand:

a) 'mtn automate inventory' returns file paths and their states, patched 
(P) files can be diffed

b) 'mtn automate get_base_revision_id' returns the parent ID of the 
workspace

c) 'mtn cat -r <base> <filename>' returns the original file content or 
nothing if the file was unknown in this revision, that is the file is 
new (FIXME: I have no information if the content is binary at this 
point, I need to trust on the mtn:manual_merge attribute on the file 
which can easily be removed by hand - so actually I don't like to trust 
on that one too much)

d) 'mtn automate content_diff <filename>' returns the diff of the file 
against the parent rev

In the end all these information should be nicely put together in a view 
which shows the complete file and the changed lines with red and green 
background (maybe even a split view with synchronized scrolling, but 
this is a long way down the road...).

Anyways, it should be obvious that I need to break with my work in c), 
because mtn cat is not yet available via automate. There is mtn automate 
get_file, but this needs a file ID. Where to get this file ID? Either 
from the manifest of the parent or by calling get_revision. But yes, I 
currently do not use this at all, and I'd need to retrieve the complete 
manifest or revision just to get a single fileid... not the best way IMHO.

So there are several possibilities which could work for me (and others 
in the same situation):

a) make mtn cat available over mtn automate, maybe rename it and remove 
get_file; expand the "automate cat" command to also accept fileid's with 
one of these nice new options available there.

b) make inventory (actually the new basic_io format version residing in 
some unmerged branch currently) spit out fileid's (old/new)

c) create a new automate command which translates a single file path 
into a file id for a certain revision (again, if the file is available 
in this revision)

d) ...more?

There are reasons for and against certain ways, e.g. backwards 
compatibility, no likage to create the all-in-one command suitable for 
every purpose, aso. but I'd like to know the most unobstrusive from you, 
or at least the one you favorit.

Thomas.

--
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