Re: BIG update to code, can CVS help?

[Pierre Asselin]

address@hidden writes:

>I have a subroutine that I maintain, and I just received an 'update'
>from a user.

>The diff from the original to the users version goes on 40 pages (sigh).

>Now its not really that bad, a good deal of this is just
>    o Changes to captilisation of comments.
>    o Reformatting of comments
>    o Spelling errors in comments...
>    o changes to a few variable names to better reflect their usage.

These are all cosmetic changes.  If the modified version is a *LOT*
better than the original --which is possible-- you might consider
keeping it.  Otherwise, lose the changes.  It'll only make your
life harder by generating spurious conflicts.  At least he didn't
reindent the code...


>The rest I would like to look at more carefully.

OK, so there are substantive changes.


>Is there any way that CVS can help me incrementally apply this change
>to the code, noting that I want to be able to compile and test at each
>stage of the game?

Incrementally?  Bah.  With the sources under CVS I would just
check out a fresh copy (at the release where your contributed started),
start a branch, apply the patch wholesale and do regression tests.
There is no commitment on your part until you er, commit the changes
and merge them to the trunk.

I suppose you could split the patch file and apply the hunks one
by one, but that's a lot of trouble.  With cvs you can always back
out.  If the patch doesn't work on the first try you can commit
tweaks on the branch, again without any consequences for your
mainline of development until you merge.  Also, you always know
where you stand.  cvs diff is your friend.

--
Pierre Asselin
Westminster, Colorado


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----==  Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----