Re: [PATCH] Re: "Revision" case-sensitive in svn:keywords

Max Bowsher wrote:
> I like what you propose, but:
>
> 1) I'm not 100% sure we would get consensus that case-sensitivizing
> svn:keywords in 2.0 was worth the change - although I personally would +1.

My personal reasoning goes like this:

1) The keyword strings inside the files are currently case-sensitive (and I
personally see no reason to change that now or ever).

2) The capitalization of the svn:keywords should match the actual keywords as
appear in the file, for consistencies sake. There is no benefit to having the
svn:keywords _not_ be case-sensitive (and it may even cause people to request
breaking #1 for their laziness^Wconvenience).

3) We cannot take back the short versions being case-insensitive until a major
release (at which point we could fix up the existing svn:keywords entries in the
nigh inevitable dump/load cycle).

4) The case-insensitivity of the short versions is _not documented_ anywhere
(indeed the subject isn't covered at all in the book and it is only through
experimentation that the user discovers that it _is_ case-sensitive in the WC file).

5) Making all of the svn:keywords entries case-insensitive and then
_documenting_ that removes a minor programmer visible inconsistency, but doesn't
improve the experience for the user one iota, since they /still/ have to
remember that inside the file all keywords _are_ case-sensitive.

Therefore, I don't think the relatively minor gratification of making the
interface internally consistent is worth possibly limiting our actions in future
releases. As I said, I don't have enough voltage to actually veto this (and I
can see your point, really I can), but if you (Max) do go ahead and do this, I
would suggest that any patch include the documentation and spell out exactly
what promise we are now going to keep /vis a vis/ keyword capitalization, both
in svn:keywords and in the files themselves.

John

-- 
John Peacock
Director of Information Research and Technology
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4720 Boston Way
Lanham, MD 20706
301-459-3366 x.5010
fax 301-429-5747
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