Another bikeshed, another show...

OK, I may regret this, but here's another bikeshed UI question.

Here's the 'simple' scenario:

   1. I make local mods within a directory called 'foodir'.

   2. 'svn mv foodir bardir'

        This rename is really 'svn cp foodir bardir && svn rm foodir'.

   3. When I run 'svn status', what should I see?

Note that when a directory is copied within the working copy, all of
its entries are marked "copied=TRUE". This state exists independently
of any schedule or existence flag. It simply means that the subtree
overall will be added 'with copy history' during the next commit.

Right now, 'svn status' would show this:

A 2 ./bardir
A 2 ./bardir/alpha
A 2 ./bardir/beta
A 2 ./bardir/gamma
D 2 ./foodir

That's because we've told status to print an "A" whenever it sees the
"copied" flag.

Of course, this is bogus I think. If "copied" is truly independent of
any scheduling, we should be able to see our local mods within the
copied directory, not cover them up! For example:

A 2 ./bardir
_ 2 ./bardir/alpha
_ 2 ./bardir/beta
_ 2 ./bardir/gamma
D 2 ./foodir

...is what I should see if I have no local mods inside bardir, and...

A 2 ./bardir
M 2 ./bardir/alpha
_ 2 ./bardir/beta
_ 2 ./bardir/gamma
D 2 ./foodir

... is what I should see if I've tweaked alpha's text as well.

Here's the issue: Karl and Mike are of the opinion that this isn't
enough; that we not only want to see the local mods in the copied
subtree, but also see some markers that show the copied subtree
itself. In other words, they want to see the 'copied' flag
independently of the schedule flag. One solution might be to add
another column:

A A 2 ./bardir
M A 2 ./bardir/alpha
_ A 2 ./bardir/beta
_ A 2 ./bardir/gamma
D 2 ./foodir

Now the eye can see a "block" of paths that remind one that a subtree
is scheduled for addition-with-history; but at the same time, one can
see the mods within the directory as well.

Is this good? Or is it too much? In theory, if one sees a directory
scheduled for addition and something with an 'M' inside it, one can
infer that it must be a copied subtree. On the other hand, nobody
likes to look at paths and deduce what is within what. The 'block'
of A's is easier to see.

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Received on Sat Oct 21 14:36:49 2006