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RE: Get exclusive lock

From: Reedick, Andrew <jr9445_at_ATT.COM>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 08:57:27 -0600

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Les Mikesell [mailto:lesmikesell_at_gmail.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 6:15 PM
> To: Reedick, Andrew
> Cc: users_at_subversion.tigris.org
> Subject: Re: Get exclusive lock
>
 
> If having svn:needs-lock set really provided that guarantee, this
> thread
> wouldn't have started.

Which is the point of the thread. Currently, svn:needs-lock only kicks
in when:
        a) you app notices the read-only file and communicates that fact
to the user, or
        b) when you try to commit without a lock, or
        c) when the user explicitly remembers to check for
svn:needs-lock

a) is weak because not all apps handle readonly files "properly",
b) is too little too late,
c) suffers from 'even experts make mistakes' with the added bonus of
being newbie un-friendly. Plus people who create unmergeable files are
probably not coders to begin with (pictures, video, audio, etc.) and
wouldn't even be familiar with the concept of merging.

Hence the desire to add additional notification about, and monitoring of
'svn:needs-lock' files by the client.

 
> I'm just not convinced that this mythical "other person" or his tools
> will be any more observant of a needs-lock status than you are unless
> he
> understands the 'guarantee' consists only of your your willingness to
> cooperate. If you both work at once, one of you is going to lose
> regardless of how much the tool tries to help.
>

Agreed. If a knowledgeable person or client was in complete control of
the situation, then there wouldn't be a problem. However being in
complete control is impossible unless you either train all your humans
to be version control experts (and none of whom make mistakes,) or if
you can force coordination between everyone's OS, their apps, and the
subversion clients.

So aside from not using unmergeable files anywhere in your organization
or operating in a police state with total control over everyone's
computer, the only options are training, and up-front reminders/warnings
about svn:needs-lock to back-up the training.

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Received on 2008-03-05 16:19:14 CET

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