Re: [Monotone-devel] Execute by default?

[Christian Ohler]

Nathaniel Smith, 2007-02-16:

> It seems like always "executing" is the Right Thing for
> add/drop/rename/pivot_root/whatever-else-I'm-forgetting.

I agree.


Another way to handle file removal is what darcs does: On commit, assume 
that any files that are missing have been deleted.  (Similar to an 
implicit mtn drop --missing.)

With this model, renamings are the only operations that the revision 
control system needs to be told about; deletions are inferred (just like 
changes to file content).  I have always found this model the most 
convenient to work with.

mtn's current "files are missing, please use either mtn drop or mtn 
revert" always forces me to take additional action, while a "files are 
missing, I'll assume they should be dropped" would be what I want in 
almost every case, with no additional action required.  This is about as 
good as a user interface can get.  In those cases where I want something 
different, I can abort.

Obviously, to make this safe, the "MTN:" hints in the commit message 
editor would have to make it clear which files are being automatically 
dropped.

Really, we already do the same thing for changes to file content, 
without any "file contents have changed, please use either mtn 
change-content or mtn revert".


Incidentally, this would also simplify the consistency constraints on 
the workspace -- "missing items" would no longer be an inconsistency -- 
and get rid of related bugs, such as "mtn ls unknown" aborting when some 
files are missing.


Christian Ohler.